Darkness of Companions
by Eternal Contradiction
Summary: A sequel to the book Companions of the Night. --Complete-- On the eve of her impending doom, Kerry has to look within herself to find the truth of her power over Michel.
1. The one where Michel returns

Title: Darkness of Companions Based on: Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde Summary: A sequel to Companions of the Night. Kerry's life is threatened by an unidentifiable source Ethan/Michel seems to understand. He becomes her champion as she recedes farther into the darkness. Rated: PG13  
  
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A dull glow embraced the room and cut through the otherwise darkened house. Kerry curled her legs under her and watched another monotonous program trying to appease the audience. For a change she even picked a program with a theme similar to the reason her life turned upside-down but she still couldn't help feeling something crucial was missing from her life. It was dark calm nights like this, when she was completely alone, that she felt herself drawn towards death. Her therapist said it was guilt from killing a man; her therapist was a dim-witted fool. The only reason she told him about how the dark affects her mental state was she needed something substantial to get him off the topic of Ethan's disappearance. He was probably working for the cops; they always thought there was something erroneous with her story about the guy who was kidnapped with her. (They wanted errors. they should have checked for fingerprints in the rooms she claimed she was in because there weren't any.)  
  
"Oh yes officer, I know he's fine. You see, Ethan is really a vampire." Hell they would have thought she was crazy- she was starting to think she was crazy. Sane people didn't go to psychotherapists for two years did they? It was all Ethan's- or should she say Michel's- fault. It had been exactly two years tomorrow night and the black haired, blue (or was it green) eyed hottie's features had started to haze in her mind. She couldn't even remember his eye colour! People change in two years. well vampires don't change, but she surely had. A person can only take so much of being called a murderer and vampire lover, as well as the crueler names and un-needed sympathetic glances in school before they became cynical. It was all Michel's fault. She was pretty sure this affinity towards death was his fault somehow too.  
  
She shouldn't say she wanted to die; death was not really part of it, more like immortal life. The body was the only thing that died when becoming a vampire right? The whole thing was very misleading. She didn't want to become like Michel, leave and outlive her family, and drink blood. Yet, she could almost feel its tentacled grasp slowly encircling her mind like a noose hanging her by her neck. (Neck- wonderful irony)  
  
If given the choice again she still wouldn't go for vampirism despite the compellation to. It must be another vampire thing or something, maybe it meant Michel was thinking of her. That thought amused her. The man was a night crawling, blood drinking vampire who would never give another thought to the little girl who rejected his kind.  
  
Her life was completely and irrevocably screwed.  
  
Winged shaped shadows developed in the doorway of the living room and she could sense them without turning around. She was pretty sure they were in her mind. The phenomenon had started a few weeks before and only lasted a few seconds before the shadows always revoked back through the door. This time the wings unfurled in an angry snap and started to coldly embrace the walls of the room. Her eyes, accustomed to the dimness of the house, couldn't make out any shapes. The TV screen slowly and torturously became dark with what looked like black ink running over the glass.  
  
Kerry screamed and lunged towards the lamp she knew was a few feet away on a coffee table. Her movements were quicker than usual and the lamp crashed to the floor just as the last of the soft TV light disappeared. She surged to her feet while the overhead light snapped on.  
  
She turned to thankfully lie to her father about the reason she screamed. Her mouth gaped open as her eyes met Michel's glaring ones. They were definitely blue and shooting ice in her direction.  
  
"What the hell is going on here, Kerry?" His voice wasn't much warmer than his eyes. She stared at him in shock. He had changed his hair- it was now curling on his shoulders in little black waves. She looked at his hair apprehensively.  
  
"Why don't you tell me? What are you doing here, and are you the one causing the wings?" His face relaxed into his usual almost-amused-at- life look. This was worse than the rage because no one could ever read his facade. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her roughly into the hallway and up the stairs. He pushed into her bedroom and grabbed the suitcase from under her bed and commanded her to pack.  
  
She grabbed stuff blindly out of her drawer as she fumed. This was just too much- she was probably hallucinating again. She rubbed her arm distractedly and noticed faint bruises were forming under the skin. She grabbed another handful of cloth and stuffed it into her suitcase and yanked the zipper closed.  
  
"I want answers before I go anywhere." She turned to face him enraged. "What's going on? I don't see you for two years then you show up out of no where and try to abduct me."  
  
"They are trying to kill you. I didn't think they would dare. Now pack."  
  
"I am packed."  
  
"As much as I appreciate the thought I think you should pack some clothes as well." He opened her suitcase to reveal her entire underwear drawer. She blushed and started to take lingerie out by the handful, and she didn't even own that much. He grabbed a cute little nightgown out of her hand and put it back into the luggage. As he was rummaging through her closet for who knew what she put it back in her dresser. He emerged from her closet carrying a tiny black dress, heels and his leather jacket.  
  
"Humans are so predictable." He muttered as he put on the jacket and shoved the dress and shoes into her bag. She snarled.  
  
"That's my jacket." He fixed the lapels and watched her stuff a pair of jeans into the suitcase. "Where are you taking me?" He continued to watch her with that soulless blue gaze. "I just wanted to know what to pack." She trailed off.  
  
"My house for now. Until I find out how far they have gotten with their plan." He snapped her case shut and headed out the door.  
  
"Who are they?" Curiosity had finally gotten the better of her and yet she knew before she inquired that he wouldn't answer. His boots stomped down the stairs as she hurried after him. "What about my dad and brother? They'll think it's weird that I leave three days after I get home from university."  
  
"You can visit during the day."  
  
"But what will they think?" She wailed.  
  
"Your brother is too young to think anything of the sort. Leave a note if you're worried."  
  
She stopped in front of the living room door and glared back at him. She was vaguely aware of the TV on in the background. He looked behind her in disgust.  
  
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I'm wounded."  
  
"What?"  
  
"After all I've told you about us you still watch shit like that." He gestured at the TV with his shoulder and grabbed her arm again as he moved to the door. Before he could reach the knob it swung open. She briefly thought it was another vampiric power she didn't know about. Framed by the streetlight stood her father and little brother back from the newest Disney movie.  
  
Stephan quickly bared the way so they couldn't get by, as Ian looked at Kerry wide-eyed.  
  
"Let go of my daughter you. fiend." Kerry cringed. She didn't need this.  
  
She put herself between Michel and her father. "Daddy, Daniel and I are going to be late for our ride. I told you about my ski trip last night remember?" She knew damn well her father wouldn't remember even if she had told him. he had gotten a little too into the eggnog.  
  
"Uh sure. Where are you going?"  
  
"Skiing." She moved out the door. "Don't worry, I'll be back before Christmas."  
  
Her dad looked confused, trying to remember their invented conversation. She knew he would've protested if Ian hadn't hugged her and asked her to bring him another gift. Her dad glared after them as Michel opened the car door for her and helped her in, and as he stogged her suitcase into the back. Michel finally turned and faced her dad as they both glared at each other. Kerry sighed at the machoism tendencies they both displayed and opened the door hitting Michel's butt. A fine butt it was too.  
  
Kerry shivered as Michel got in and drove out of the court. He muttered something about her dad seeming familiar as he turned the corner. She caught him glaring into the rearview mirror at her still glowering father. Men!  
  
"I've got a problem."  
  
"Damn right you have a problem. You promised to be back for Christmas but I can tell you there's no way in hell you will be."  
  
"But they're my family. they expect me to be there." She sighed. "You wouldn't understand."  
  
"That's right. I wouldn't understand anything about having a family. Mine has been dead for years after all." He practically ran into the stoplight as he swung irately around the corner. She reached over and turned the heat on swearing she wouldn't complain and tell him what the dilemma was.  
  
He pulled up into a parking lot and stalked out of the vehicle. She scrambled after him as he quickly started to walk down the sidewalk with her suitcase. Her teeth started to chatter as her breath frosted.  
  
"You're making enough noise to wake the." He stopped mid-sentence and scrutinized her. "Where's your jacket?"  
  
She figured telling him he was wearing it wouldn't go over very well. He seemed to come to the same conclusion for he stripped off the leather jacket and tossed it to her muttering he knew getting it back was too good to be true.  
  
"I think you care more about saving the jacket than you do about me." She knew she was antagonizing him, but in that second she saw the guy she had fallen for.  
  
"The truth tells no lies."  
  
"Well you wouldn't know anything about the truth anyway." She followed him still refusing to complain. He was supposed to see superbly in the dark and indeed he did as he dodged a fire hydrant she didn't see. She got to her feet before he could snarl at her again. After a ten-minute hike they came to the mansion of her dreams and he began to cut across the lawn.  
  
"Why didn't we just come here in the first place? Oh I get it. the car was borrowed."  
  
"Not the way you're implying."  
  
"Suuure." She muttered as he unlocked the front door. He waited for her to remove her jacket.  
  
"Where are your shoes?"  
  
"I forgot them."  
  
"How could you forget shoes and a jacket?"  
  
"I was too busy trying to stop you and my dad from killing each other."  
  
"I would never kill your dad for looking after you." He shook his head, probably at her stupidity. "Go take a bath." He brought her into the master bedroom and put her suitcase on the bed.  
  
She frowned at him. "Don't even think I'm going to sleep with you."  
  
"I wasn't, but obviously you were."  
  
"This is the master bedroom, what did you expect me to think?"  
  
He grinned almost with genuine amusement. "There are too many windows in this room. I prefer a smaller one. Now take a bath, you're freezing." His azure eyes seemed to dance merrily for a moment and she couldn't help but grin back at him.  
  
She began to feel her toes again as his footsteps softly echoed down the stairs. The burning sensation emerging from numbness made her appreciate just how chilly she was. 'His fault' she muttered stubbornly as she found he had already turned the steaming water on for her. The sweet unselfish act almost took her breath away.  
  
He was such a bastard. Now she liked him again. It was largely more unproblematic to abhor the man. She soaked in his antique claw-foot bathtub for a while and looked around the room for a towel. Great there weren't any. His name emerged from her mouth before she could think. Something crashed from below as he reached the door in seconds.  
  
"Are you decent?"  
  
Stupid question. "I'm in the tub!"  
  
The door flew open and she squealed clutching a facecloth to chest. He eyed her, then smirked. "That's not helping much." She sunk a little more into the tub. "Now what's the emergency? Your heart isn't beating sporadically so I know you aren't in danger." He looked at her as if to say she better have a good answer or else. Her heart-beat surely accelerated.  
  
"Uh. Where are the towels?" He scowled, and stalked out of the bathroom returning in a few moments with an armful of cotton.  
  
"If you have any other reasons to scare the shit out of me, you better say it now."  
  
"I locked the door, next time knock." She replied coldly.  
  
"Yeah, I'll knock politely when someone is killing you, how's that?"  
  
"Fine by me. Could you please leave now so I can get out?"  
  
"No. You beckoned, you put up with me being here."  
  
She gritted her teeth, stood up and grabbed a towel. This was obviously not what he expected for he was slamming the door and giving her privacy a moment later. She quickly dressed hoping to get a second of gloating in as she hurried downstairs. He was sitting at the kitchen table with a mug clenched between his hands.  
  
"I made you some coffee." He gestured towards the empty seat. He was being sweet again. It almost overshadowed the unpleasant way he habitually seemed to be treating her now. She sat down and took a drink of the lukewarm bitterness and struggled to keep her face pleasant as he watched her carefully. So he was baiting her now? The childish reaction from him almost brought a smile to her lips. This meant war!  
  
"Who and why is someone trying to kill me?"  
  
He looked at her impassively. "I thought you would have it figured out. I guess I'm putting too much faith in your brain cells."  
  
"I concluded that it was vampires and it's because of you but I courteously didn't accuse you of anything."  
  
"Of course not."  
  
"What did you do this time?"  
  
His eyes met hers for a moment and a jumble of scenes flashed before her eyes. Before she could scrutinize them he broke eye contact. "I'm not the only one of us with secrets."  
  
For a split second she thought she knew what he was talking about, then the thought disappeared and she was left with confusion.  
  
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	2. The one with the colony

Title: Darkness of Companions  
  
Based on: Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde  
  
Summary: A sequel to Companions of the Night. Kerry's life is threatened by an unidentifiable source Ethan/Michel seems to understand. He becomes her champion as she recedes farther into the darkness.  
  
Rated: PG13  
  
Author's Note: I do not own any characters. If you don't understand something in this chapter, feel free to ask in a review or email me. I love feedback, so tell me if you like it, hate it, want to make it into a 3 part mini-series. let me know. ~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~  
  
The piano orchestrated an unidentifiable tune as Michel's long fingers bounced along the keys violently. He crashed to a halt as she entered the room.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"Venting." He moved away from the piano, grabbed a book from the shelf, and opened it to an indefinite page. He continued reading as she made her way to the baby grand piano and executed a perfect Greensleeves. She beamed in pride and ran her hand across the keys, looking to him for approval. "Your beat is slightly off."  
  
"So did you ever go to Japan?" His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. Probably wondering why she was still talking to him after he insulted her.  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
He remained silent until she figured he wasn't going to answer and she turned back to the piano. His vampiric silent agility caused her not to hear him come up behind her. She jumped as his cool hand touched her briefly on the shoulder. "Something more important came up."  
  
*Silence*  
  
"Can vampires fly?"  
  
"You've been watching too much Queen of the Damned, Lestat would be amused."  
  
*Silence again*  
  
"Will you teach me?"  
  
"What. to fly? Even if I could, I doubt a mortal."  
  
"No you fool! How to perform Greensleeves correctly."  
  
He sat down almost relieved on the bench beside her and started to run his fingers over the keys in the familiar melody. Her eyes became heavy and she drooped fast asleep onto his steady shoulder. He skimmed his mouth over her knuckles and murmured that she played it fine the first time before scooping her up and carrying her to bed.  
  
Kerry awoke as the last fingers of Michel's caressing sleep faded. The most relaxed and comfortable sleeps she ever had were Michel induced. The dreams were good too- vivid, realistic, and. ok erotic. but only sometimes.  
  
She sat up with a start as it all started to pull together. My God! He was stalking her. During those two years he must have been around. How could she have thought he was never there? Reason overcame her panicked conclusion, but it only let her see the facts more clearly.  
  
He knew her favourite movie was Queen of the Damned. It could have been a coincidence, but why would he pick that movie when there were so many shoddier vampire movies out there. He knew her house, and especially her room like the back of his hand. He had gone directly there from the stairs when he had 4 other closed doors to choose from, and he took her suitcase from under the bed. Ok she was rambling. It only would have taken him a day or two to find out all this information.  
  
But it was so much nicer to think he had been there. She was going to have to be pleasant to him now- well only if he was pleasant to her.  
  
She rubbed her hands over her eyes and swung her feet out of bed. The cold floor almost made her wet herself as she realized her bladder wasn't used to waking up mid-afternoon. She rushed to the bathroom and relieved herself then took a shower. Sitting on the side of her bed towel-drying her hair she noticed a note beside the alarm clock.  
  
Kerry  
  
Don't leave the house. Feel free to explore it; my room is all the way down this hall on the left. don't open it. You're a smart girl, I'm sure you can figure out why- eventually. Don't phone out. Don't sign into any of your accounts if you go online. Remember, vampires have minions who can be around during the day. Don't open the door. Don't open any blinds, it might attract unwanted attention plus be dangerous in a vampire house. Don't make any noise. I don't have a reason why. just don't.  
  
Jesus!!! She wondered if breathing would offend him. She tried to reason with herself that the note just meant he cared, but she would rather just take a swing at him. Figure it out eventually. asshole. She found herself wandering into his kitchen. A quick inspection of the room revealed that he had no edible food. She did find a molding mass in the fridge, which she didn't want to closely inspect for fear it might reach out and grab her nose. She opted for a cup of coffee and the pleasure of nagging him later.  
  
She figured taking him up on that offer to explore would be the most productive thing to do with the time. Besides, she had always wondered what was in every room in this grand old house. When she was a little girl she would always tell her mom she would own this house when she grew up. Her mom never laughed at her fantasy, but she had once caught her mom looking at the house frightened. After that she tried not to mention it.  
  
When she was seven her parents got into their first huge fight and Kerry had snuck out of the house as they were yelling at each other across the room. Currently Kerry stopped walking through the hall as the memories assailed her. Her mother had told her father that she had to leave- he knew the time would come. Her father had yelled some nasty things at her mom and she had picked up a vase ready to throw it at his head.  
  
Kerry had been terrified. She didn't know what to do. She had run out of their old house and ran until she was lost. Didn't her parents love her anymore? Her mommy must not, she wanted to leave and hurt daddy with a vase. And her daddy was just as bad, calling her mommy names. Kerry sat down on a curb and cried. When she finally was able to open her eyes through her tears she noticed she was only a block away from her dream house. It was the only place she ever felt welcome in- like it was calling to her.  
  
She ran across the street and almost got hit by a car. The driver honked and yelled at her through the car door. She began to cry again; not realizing the driver was probably just as scared as her. She crawled under the fence to the back yard trying to get away from the scary and offensive world. There was a tire swing hanging from a tree, and empty pool that desperately needed to be swept out, and an old tennis court with shrubs growing through cracks in the old cement. To Kerry it was heaven.  
  
She scrambled into the tire swing and rocked back and forth as she let out all her miseries. The sun started to set and still she swung, making plans to live in her castle forever. The darkness started to scare her and she thought she could hear noises of something moving.  
  
Then he came. The prince of the castle. He looked just like a fairy tale. Tall, dark, handsome and kind. She loved him immediately.  
  
"Hi there." He sat down on a picnic bench in front of the swing. She looked at him and grinned for the first time in hours.  
  
"Hi." Her voice cracked as she wiped tears off her face and sniffed hard. He laughed and pulled out an old fashioned handkerchief and gave it to her. She grinned tearfully and blew her nose and tried to give him back the cloth. He objected and he helped her off the swing. She stumbled a few feet and tripped over a tree root. The knight scooped her up and carried her towards the house. Something in Kerry's young mind protested as she sensed he wasn't really rescuing her at all. Suddenly her mom was there and she looked even more terrified as she grabbed her away from the man.  
  
The man and her mommy said a few things that Kerry didn't understand. Then her mom had brought her home, crying along with her the whole way. She had promised her mom never to go back to the house.  
  
Presently Kerry found herself staring apprehensively out the back window into the neat back yard. She sat down where she was standing and tried to focus on breathing. Oh God- was that real?  
  
What the hell was going on?  
  
Her afternoon was filled with wonderment at both the contents of his house and her memories. She found a library filled with antique books. In a glass case was an original Shakespeare manuscript. She was awed. An original Agitha Christie mystery was jammed between two bird-watching books. The glossy cover of a new book drew her towards a shelf. She had to grin at Michel's eccentricities as she found a whole shelf dedicated towards paperback bestsellers.  
  
She found a steamy romance and hooted with laughter as she snuggled into the couch and started to read. This is how Michel found her hours later.  
  
"Have you eaten?"  
  
She jumped up from the book she was engrossed in and glowered at him. "I'm not very picky with my food, but I don't eat mold and I don't eat rats. Those seem to be the only thing plentiful around here."  
  
"Well excuse me Miss Omnivore. If I had food it would just mean humans have been around here lately, and that should worry you a lot more than moldy zucchini."  
  
"Is that what it was? I couldn't tell with the tentacles swarming out of it. Any second it might spawn tiny zucchini mutants and take over your fridge."  
  
"Haha. I'm going out to find food. I'll bring you back something. Any requests?"  
  
"Preferably nothing that ever had blood."  
  
He stood up abruptly. "Someone's in a snarly mood. I'll just leave you here with your panties in a twist."  
  
"Wait. Have you ever lured any other children into your back yard?"  
  
"What?" He looked at her closely. "I don't know what you're talking about." He turned and walked out of the room calling his monotonous warning about what she couldn't do. She blocked him out and went back to reading her book.  
  
It didn't take long before she heard him reenter. The door slammed closed and she could hear him move towards the kitchen. She got up and started to walk towards him, about to call out a scathing remark she had been thinking of since he left. She stopped dead. Something was wrong.  
  
A strange voice echoed through the still house. "Well he might not be here to welcome us, but he left us a snack." She knew they sure as hell weren't talking about the zucchini. She turned around and fled towards the back of the house. She slammed into the basement and locked the door firmly behind her. As soon as she found herself in the dark room she knew it was a stupid mistake. She turned on the light and spotted a cellar door on the other side of expansive basement. She hurried over and found it surprisingly unlocked.  
  
Not pausing to wonder if this was some sort of trap she hoisted herself out and began to run across the yard. A cold hand clamped around her arm. She tried to kick him in the shins, but that hadn't worked with Michel either.  
  
"Well well, what have we here? A little trespasser."  
  
"Let go of me you megalomaniacal vampire!" He frowned and her foot connected with shins. She continued to run wondering which had shocked him more- the word megalomaniac or vampire. Unluckily she ran right into the swing. She really should have remembered it was there. It slowed her down as she pushed it out of the way. Even vampire sensory couldn't stop a wild swing from crashing into this unknown predator's face. She reached the gate on the back fence and it swung open before she reached it. Considering this lucky, she dove through it and hopefully into safety.  
  
This was not the case. She was tackled to the ground a second before the back gate. The man put a hand against her throat and growled for her to be a good little girl. She knew it would be no use to fight but she gathered her energy for one last valiant struggle. He sensed this and held tighter as he lowered his mouth to her throat.  
  
Instead of fighting she surprised him by calling out Michel's name as loud as she could and yet it didn't come out much more than a croak. He paused and looked at her through the dark. "You know Michel?"  
  
"Get the hell off her Lestat." Snarled a cold familiar voice to her right. If voices could kill. oh well he was probably dead anyways. The man pulled away and Michel stooped over and helped her to her feet frowning at bloodstains on her top. He roughly pulled away the curtain of her hair looking for the telltale signs of the incisors. He pulled her shivering body closer to him and turned around to face the other vampire ferociously. He ended up almost grinning at him.  
  
"How the hell did she break your nose?"  
  
Before their eyes his nose healed and the blood disappeared. "Swing." He muttered sullenly. Michel squeezed her arm gently and started to walk towards the house.  
  
"Kerry, I'd like you to meet Lestat. Lestat, your latest prey here is the girl I told you about." He felt Kerry shudder in his arms and his attention was drawn to her lack of dress. "This is becoming a habit for you to leave the house without footwear or a jacket." He sighed and pulled off his leather jacket, which he had surely stolen from her room and gave it to her. Then swooped her up and easily carried her around the house and through the front door.  
  
An auburn haired woman looked over as they entered the house. She hovered around Michel and Kerry, wringing her hands nervously. "Oh Michel, when I figured out Lestat had went after that girl you asked us to help you save I didn't know what to do. It was obviously too late." She broke off surprised when Kerry looked at her wide-eyed. The small lady relaxed. "So he didn't drink that much from her. Is she alright?"  
  
Michel burst out laughing. "I think you should be asking your husband that question." They all looked at the roguishly grinning vampire as he rubbed his nose ruefully.  
  
"She broke my nose." The red head burst out laughing merrily and grabbed Kerry's freezing hand with her own.  
  
"I'm Jesse. I can't tell you how amusing it is to see the debonair larger- than-life Lestat bested by a mortal girl."  
  
"I'm Kerry. I'd say it was a pleasure but I'm still shaking." Michel carried her into the kitchen and she didn't protest, she didn't have the energy to do so. Just the pleasure of being in his arms.  
  
He dropped her rather abruptly into a chair and she snarled. The table was quite burdened with food he had just bought and she grabbed a bag of Chinese takeout and dug into the rice. It was the first thing she had eaten since lunch the day before, and although she had gone longer without food the weight in her stomach was a delight. The two newcomers (it seemed strange to call them that for they must be centuries older than she) looked at her in repulsion as she devoured the food as if she had taken up cannibalism.  
  
"Uh, sorry. I could go eat somewhere else."  
  
Lestat seemed to still be harbouring homicidal tendencies towards her, but Jesse was friendly as usual. "That's fine. I'm sure our eating habits are just as gross to you." She jarred Michel with her elbow. "She seems to really enjoy eating rice."  
  
Lestat stopped looking as if he was plotting ways for her to die and started chortling as Michel started to run his fingers through his hair as he only does when he's uneasy. Kerry could not see anything funny or the least bit dirty in that line. Michel changed the subject with surprising speed.  
  
"How could you not avoid a swing? They don't just pop out of no where."  
  
Lestat put his hand on the fridge door. "I need something to drink." He opened the door and peered in at the zucchini. He picked it up and looked closely at it. Kerry pushed away her food in disgust. "I think there's a whole colony of aliens in here. Eugh. it licked me!" He tossed it against the wall where it splattered in a huge puke-green blob and the smell started to permeate.  
  
Michel did not look amused.  
  
"Would the two of you stop making fun of my colony. I mean zucchini. Seriously Lestat- how did you manage to get hit by a swing?"  
  
He ran a hand through his dark blonde streaked hair and looked at them sullenly. "It came out of no where. It was just hanging there normally then it jerks up and hit me on the nose. It was unnatural I tell you." By that time they had moved into the living room where the air wasn't as bad.  
  
"Is a Quhadilne helping her?"  
  
Kerry jerked awake from her probably Michel provoked drowsy state and looked Jesse straight in the eye. "A what?" She found her head on Michel's lap and refused to blush. He looked at her in almost surprise.  
  
"I thought you were asleep." He muttered with his hand paused within her hair.  
  
"You should know." She never took her eyes from Jesse's until the woman explained what she was murmuring about.  
  
"A Quhadilne is psychic, telekinetic, but much more. They can control the future, change the past, and rule the present. It may be hard for a mortal to understand their powers." Lestat shot her a look telling her to keep quiet, but she kept explaining to a wide-eyed Kerry. "There hasn't been the Quhadila for centuries. Oh dear, I've managed to confuse you. The Quhadila is the one with the ultimate power, Quahadilne are those with lesser power and never live beyond twenty-five. If a vampire drinks from the Quhadila and converts her, both of them will be able to live as mortals, yet stay immortal."  
  
"So you think one of these lesser power enchiladas are helping me?" She poked Michel in the chest. "Would you stop it, I don't want to go to sleep." She murmured quietly. Michel continued to stroke her hair to placate her and comfort him for what he had to say next.  
  
"That's why I called you two to help me. I don't think she is getting help from one, I think she is one."  
  
~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~~@ 


	3. The one with the molerat and Quasimodo

Title: Darkness of Companions  
  
Based on: Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde  
  
Summary: A sequel to Companions of the Night. Kerry's life is threatened by an unidentifiable source Ethan/Michel seems to understand. He becomes her champion as she recedes farther into the darkness.  
  
Rated: PG13  
  
Author's Note: I do not own any characters. If you don't understand something in this chapter, feel free to ask in a review or email me. I abso-bloody-lutely love feedback. I don't actually know the time it takes to get to NY, but I did stare at a map for 15 mins trying to figure it out.  
  
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Kerry awoke the next day to find herself curled against a dead-like Michel. She figured there was nothing to get alarmed about; she was still wearing all her clothes. Unless the creep had undressed her then redressed her, but that would take too long, and she doubted Michel would do that. She thought about all the things she had learned in the last twenty-four hours and realized she hadn't gotten a single answer, only more questions. The most pressing of these was who wanted to kill her?  
  
Did anyone want to kill her? Was it her vampire connection? *cough*Michel*cough* Was it these Quasimodo people Michel accused her of being? No wait. Quasimodo was a hunchback; Michel wasn't calling her a hunchback was he? Her back wasn't hunched!  
  
Her thoughts sobered as she remembered Jesse's statement of them only living for twenty-five years. After Michel had hypothesized she was one, the other woman had tried to take back that age classification. Kerry suddenly got a fervent urge to see her family. Quickly getting washed and dressed in clean clothes she grabbed the leather jacket and broke half of Michel's rules almost gleefully by leaving the house.  
  
If he would have thought of it one of them would have been 'don't take my car,' but she would have had to leave the house to do so. She grinned as the engine purred to life and it smoothly rolled into the street. The man had faultless taste. As luck would have it her father was driving out of the court just as she pulled to the intersection. She was easily able to follow him to the mall.  
  
She wanted to reach out and hug them. Hear her father reassure her everything would be all right. For the first time she understood what it was like to be a vampire. Always in the shadows watching, but never taking part in life itself. She selfishly wanted to forget the dangers of her being associated with her family after Michel had spread the word that she was under his protection, and to mess with her was to mess with him. He had explained it was less of a chance for her family to be harmed if she just stayed away.  
  
But how could she? Her brother would be heartbroken if she wasn't there for Christmas, and her father would be infuriated to the point of distrust. She pulled up the lapels of Michel's jacket and let the Christmas crowd envelop her into its hidden folds. And she watched, removed from her own family.  
  
Ian ran into the next aisle, clutching a toy to his chest. Kerry watched shell-shocked as a man seemingly swathed in shadows pulled Ian off his feet and bundled him under his jacket. It looked as if her brother was drugged, for she couldn't detect any movements whatsoever under the expansive jacket. Was this what Michel had been warning her against?  
  
Kerry hurried after the kidnapper trying to keep her eyes dry from tears. Even with her desperate running the man was making more headway than she was. Was it possible the crowd was parting for him? She tried to use the powers Michel had smugly claimed she had, but they didn't seem to work. Great, they were defective when she needed them the most.  
  
She surged out the electronic door to find the man halfway across the parking lot. She started to run towards them as Michel came out of nowhere and tackled the man. Inwardly she cheered for her heroic vampire. She continued to hurry towards them, but not as desperately, for she was confident Michel could handle it. She watched Ian fall to the ground from the man's coat as Michel started to pound his face into dust.  
  
Just as she thought the horror was going away a car squealed around the corner and sped straight towards her prone little brother. Kerry screamed and started to run to Ian, knowing full well she could never reach him in time.  
  
Every movement surrounding her crashed to a halt. She knew that when the adrenaline was pumping through the veins that things seem to move in slow motion, but it was as if she was the only person in the world. She grabbed Ian and pulled him to safety between two parked cars. She looked up and met Michel's eyes just as the car sped by in a flurry of snow and squealing tires. After it passed her eyes were still connected with Michel's. They looked sad as his mouth worked into a seemingly arrogant smile.  
  
The man he had been wrestling with had disappeared without a trace. Kerry stood up with Ian cuddled in her arms, hoping the drugs weren't harmful and collapsed into the dingy-grey snow of the parking lot. She was vaguely aware of Michel lifting Ian and supporting him in his arms as he hauled Kerry to her feet. A crowd had gathered and Michel expertly gave the appearance of giving her a hand up instead of being the sole supporter of all her weight.  
  
A security guard jogged over with his gun and gut being propped up by a huge pleather belt. Michel transferred Ian into the guard's bulky arms and the man almost collapsed under the weight. With his arm securely around her waist in an outwardly romantic gesture Michel gave the cop his statement as he kept her from falling to the ground again. The guard didn't challenge the account of Ian just falling out of his kidnapper's arms, and didn't stop him from walking away half dragging Kerry. She figured it was because the man couldn't hold Ian for much longer.  
  
"Oh, you're so strong, and handsome, and good to me. Why are you so mean?" A pause. "What's wrong with me?" She practically snarled the last question in self-disgust.  
  
Michel bundled her into the car she drove earlier and left the parking lot.  
They drove in silence. Kerry put her head on the glass and stared blankly into the dark streets. It took her brain a few seconds to process they weren't heading towards his mansion, but to the highway.  
  
"Where are we going?" She recalled the sex-shop in Rochester almost fondly.  
  
"New York."  
  
"What? But that's more than a five hour drive."  
  
"All the better to leave now then. We'll get there around midnight."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because I obviously can't trust you to do what I say in your hometown. Hopefully you'll have the sense to do it in New York."  
  
"I'm sorry. I." She hoped the glass didn't reflect her image to him. He was the last person she wanted to see her cry.  
  
"Don't." He reached over and put a hand on her knee. "I made the same decision you did, once." She looked over and noticed his eyes looked very old and weary without his blasé mask. "I'm taking you away for everyone's protection."  
  
"How can they be protected if I'm not there?"  
  
"Do you trust me?" His eyes were back to being ironically amused.  
  
She took a deep breath preparing to lie but the truth slipped out easier. "Yes."  
  
"That's an improvement. I would trust you with my life anytime, but Kerry, I can't trust you where my jacket is concerned. You keep taking it." She thought she heard him mutter 'and my car too,' as she narrowed her eyes.  
  
"You give me back that old pink jacket I left with you and I might consider giving this back." She snuggled into the silk lining of the jacket and grinned at him thinking there was no way in heck she would ever give up this jacket. It was something she had of his after all, and just putting it on got her through the difficult time she had mentally after she killed Marsala.  
  
How corny was that?  
  
"Do you think they'll harm my father or brother?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Lestat is hiring a whole slew of people to protect them. They'll be safe. Now get some rest, you're tired."  
  
She defiantly tried to keep awake, just for the satisfaction of proving him wrong but her eyes began to droop and she realized that somewhere along the way all her strength got zapped. In the back of her mind she promised herself a few minutes of rest as the world disappeared into fantasy.  
  
She awoke with a start in a hub of activity. New Yorkers were going on with their regular boisterous activities as car and billboard lights gave the appearance of daytime. Michel directed the car expertly through bad, and nervous drivers unlike many New Yorkers themselves were able to do. He pulled up in front of a tall hotel and tossed a package onto her lap.  
  
"Put this on, I booked the honeymoon suite, it's the best in the house." Implying that he never took anything less that the best and deserved it. She opened the package to find a wedding ring.  
  
"Oh how thoughtful. I do." She said in a complete deadpan voice. The hotel was indeed the best, a footman helped her out of the car door and Michel nonchalantly handed over the keys to his Porsche. For the first time Kerry was ashamed to wear his scared leather jacket as she walked arm in arm with Michel across thick carpet. Michel didn't need fancy clothing to give the impression of being wealthy. He exuded charm, grace, importance, confidence, and old refined money.  
  
The man at the front desk looked down his nose at them, and Kerry was pleased to note that if you didn't have the talent to spot these qualities Michel looked as grungy as she did.  
  
"I'm sorrhy, but we arhe booked." The stupid little man with the fake accent made the mistake of turning his back on Michel.  
  
"We have reservations." He said softly.  
  
"Ah, but I do not see yourh name on the computarh. Goodbye."  
  
"I don't think you looked carefully enough. Look under D for DeBlass." Michel's cold voice demanded attention, but what was more alarming was the name he was bandying about. For the first time fish-face looked directly at them.  
  
"I think not."  
  
Michel reached over and grabbed the man by the tie. "Look you little mole rat, my wife and I have reservations for the honeymoon penthouse suite under the name of Mr. and Mrs. Ethan DeBlass. If you don't check us in, I'll do it myself and get daddy to fire your hairy little ass." Michel had perfected the rich spoiled brat routine.  
  
The man wordlessly handed over the keys as Michel let go of him. "I'm sorry Mr. DeBlass, I didn't recognize you with that. 'lady' clutching your arm." If she had thought Michel was angry before, he was absolutely livid now. Before he could do anything homicidal she grabbed and kissed him. For a stunned moment he just stood there radiating fury but slowly calmed down to the point of putting his arms around her waist. She pulled away quickly, with her heart pounding in her ears as Michel glared at the receptionist and turned towards the elevator. That kiss had probably made her exactly what the fish had suspected, but it was worth it.  
  
The elevator was partially glass, with a view of a bustling shopping center below and a scope of the decreasing New York street. Her eyes grew wide as she looked over the public. Michel held her hand and pulled her away from the glass wall.  
  
"You're scared of heights." It was more of a statement than a question but she nodded anyway. "Stay away from the glass and it won't be as intimidating."  
  
"It's fascinating." She leaned over and peered as the elevator slowly ascended.  
  
He laughed. "You should see the CN Tower in Toronto. USers hate to admit they've been outdone."  
  
The elevator chimed open and Michel unlocked the only door on the floor. She found herself in a huge apartment with luxuries she'd never even imagine. The burgundy carpet was so soft it felt like she was sinking in it up to her knees, it was the perfect cushion for all the valuable antiques resting on it.  
  
Michel moved her curtain of hair and nuzzled the nape of her neck. "Welcome to the honeymoon penthouse suite. Guests include wedded movie stars, singers, snotty rich brats, and wealthy vampires looking for a connubial bite."  
  
She burst out laughing. "That was so phony. You don't scare me. It might work on some blonde who didn't realize you were a vampire though." She moved away from him and opened the closest door. A storage closet. figures. He disappeared into the well-padded sofa as she opened the next door. She yanked open the next door and walked in, entranced.  
  
A minute later she ran out of the well-stocked bathroom gesturing widely. "And look, they have matching bathrobes too." She held up the Mr. and Mrs. monogrammed robes and beamed at him.  
  
He laughed and pulled her onto the couch, robes and all. "I forgot how fun stuff like this could be. Your innocent, fresh outlook on this place is revitalizing. I can almost see it through your eyes." She huffed off at being called naïve and slammed into the next door.  
  
He didn't even both wondering why she was insulted when her head peeked back through the door. "Holy crap, have you seen the bed in here? You could have one huge orgy on that thing. Imagine the things we could do." She trailed off. Shit, she was pretty sure she had said that out loud.  
  
"We could have wild vampiry sex." He looked at her from behind those veiled cobalt eyes.  
  
"Wouldn't want it confused with statutory rape, now would we?" He blinked as she firmly shut the door in his face. Her moods turned again as she emerged contritely a few minutes later. "Did you pack any clothes, or will I have to walk around in dirty clothes?"  
  
"You could always go naked."  
  
"I'm serious!"  
  
"So am I." He smiled roguishly at her for a moment before standing up. "Let's go shopping."  
  
"But it's one in the morning!"  
  
"That's one of the reasons I stay at this place. Half the guests are night-people and sleep during the day. The boutiques on the third floor are open all night during the holiday season. Think about it." He said charmingly while holding the door open for her. ". They need some time to buy gifts for their family. Perfect for us." The elevator slid open and she felt slightly queasy on the descent.  
  
"If you're going to puke do it over there." He pointed a couple who had joined them a floor previous cuddling in the corner. What a concerned husband he was.  
  
"You know, we just got married and we aren't cuddling, or having wild sex in bed." She grinned as Michel choked on his own spit.  
  
"We could right here. cuddle I mean." She smiled and puked a foot from his shoe.  
  
"Aw geez. What did you eat?"  
  
"Nothing." To her eternal shame she burst out crying too. To an onlooker it would have been amusing to watch him try to comfort her without stepping in anything or encouraging an encore.  
  
~*~*~*~*~~*~**~*~*~*~*~~~*~*~*~~*~ 


	4. The one with just a little lick

Title: Darkness of Companions  
  
Based on: Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde  
  
Summary: A sequel to Companions of the Night. Kerry's life is threatened by an unidentifiable source Ethan/Michel seems to understand. He becomes her champion as she recedes farther into the darkness.  
  
Rated: PG13  
  
Author's Note: I do not own any characters. If you don't understand something in this chapter, feel free to ask in a review or email me. I abso-bloody-lutely love feedback.  
  
+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
"I said I was sorry, it's not like you stepped in it or anything."  
  
"No, but that man in the snappy business suit did. He sure did fly."  
  
"It's not funny."  
  
"You aren't pregnant are you?"  
  
"I think not."  
  
"You could be. I'd like to know if my wife was pregnant before we married."  
  
"Except for one questionable occasion, virgins don't get pregnant."  
  
He looked around is search for anyone who appeared to be listening. "I can't believe the outrageous things you are saying in public. What's gotten into you lately?"  
  
"Obviously not you."  
  
He threw his hands in the air exasperated and stalked into the nearest boutique. He grabbed a pair of jeans off the rack and made her try them on. While she was in there he found the most shockingly tiny shirts he could find and threw them over the stall door. If she wanted untamed, she'd have to wear it too.  
  
She looked at the little scrap of material he wanted her to wear and wondered if you were supposed to add water to make it expand or something. She figured his reasoning was to embarrass her even further when she refused to come out of the room. Well screw him! Yeah, she kinda wanted to.  
  
She took a breath, sucked it in, and walked out of the room. "These pants are a little tight." He stared at her for a moment.  
  
"Yeah, mine too now." He shook his head and pushed her back into the room. "Go put some clothes on. Layers are good."  
  
They emerged from the shop with the jeans. He pulled her into the next shop, which happened to be LaSenza. He left her there to get her own underwear after she held up a thong and asked if it was small enough. He wandered around and grabbed a few nightgowns and forced her to buy some as she declared he only wanted to get her out of them.  
  
He gave the outward facade of being annoyed, but he was secretly thrilled and challenged by the dirty side of Kerry. Not that she was being completely dirty-minded, but it was refreshing all the same. A display caught his eye and he stopped dead, causing Kerry to slam into his back.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"Nothing." He growled, wrenching his eyes away from the anime store window.  
  
"Is that a Gundam Wing display?" She peered closer. "My brother loves that cartoon."  
  
"It's not a cartoon." He muttered as he walked away, leaving her wonder what was up his butt this time. He went into a Ralph Lauren store and started pulling pants and shirts off the rack.  
  
"Michel, this stuff is really expensive." He shrugged and held up a silk shirt.  
  
"Do you think this color would look good on me?" She shook her head at the canary yellow. "Of course it doesn't. If it doesn't look good on me, then it wouldn't look good on anyone." He put it back on the rack in disgust and smiled vaguely as he picked up a soft blue shirt. "Why don't you go find an evening gown and some shirts?" He gestured towards the woman's section.  
  
A sales clerk rushed over as she picked through the tiny dresses and Kerry braced herself for the frosty reception. Instead the lady whispered to her out of the corner of her mouth. "That man you're with looks exactly like Tony. Is he?"  
  
"Tony?"  
  
"RL's leading male model of the year. I know it's too much to hope, but it would be awesome if he came in the store. He just looks so hooooot in those underwear shots."  
  
"I guess he is model material, isn't he?"  
  
"OH, who is he?"  
  
"My husband Ethan, but I wouldn't be surprised if he dabbled in modeling for entertainment. Why don't you go ask him?"  
  
"You married the world's hottest male model? That is so cool."  
  
"You think he's the hottest male model, that's really nice. Tell him that." The woman's tittering stupidity was starting to get on her nerves. She was probably 10 years older than Michel appeared.  
  
"No, he was named hottest male model of the decade. He has an award and all. I would give up my job just to go lick him."  
  
"I think you should. He loves attention." Kerry watched as the woman shook her head and walked behind the counter. It was too bad she didn't have the nerves to approach 'Tony,' it would be a sight worth seeing. Kerry pulled out a silk indigo dress and figured it would have to do. It was probably the only dress in the store over a size 1. Michel had grabbed an armful of clothes and was heading towards the cash, motioning her to join him with his head. She walked over nonchalantly as he dumped everything on the counter.  
  
"A dress? Is that all you picked out?"  
  
She shrugged. "I doubt even that fits."  
  
"Day break is in less than an hour, and all you have to your name is an evening gown, a pair of jeans and a ton of underwear. We don't have time to go to another store." He grabbed two tops off a nearby rack, put them with all his clothes and handed over his credit card. Everything was rung up and the cashier handed back the card. She cooed 'hello Tony,' grabbed his wrist and licked his thumb.  
  
Michel looked absolutely disgusted. He turned quickly on his heel and rushed out of the store. Kerry fumbled with the many bags he left on the counter, gave the cashier a sympathetic smile, and rushed off after him. She accidentally dropped some of the bags, and turned back to get them. A goth looking teenager tried to pick up one and it slid out of his reach into Kerry's path. She almost fell trying to stop before stepping on it, but the bag surprised her again and lifted off the ground and into her arms.  
  
The teen walked away muttering he didn't remember smoking any good pot.  
  
Michel was waiting patiently for her in front of the elevator. He was looking hopelessly modelesque leaning against the glass wall with an inapproachable look on his face. A couple of teenage girls giggled as they walked by him, making her realize he didn't appear much older than they did. What kind of life was that for a man? Only appealing to teenyboppers and pedophiles didn't give much to be desired for a guy who would probably love intelligence, maturity, and vitality. The only thing he could possibly hope for was kinky sex- as kinky as you can get with virgins and grandmas.  
  
Hell- those grandmas were probably younger than he was. He never had told her how old he was, but she had noticed that other vampires seem to respect him. Did that mean age, wealth, or just that he's a respectable guy? He was probably named leading bloodsucker of the century or something. He moved away from the wall in one fluid movement and came beside her before the elevator.  
  
"So, Tony, is it true you are the world's hottest model?"  
  
He blanched and grimaced. "It's just one of my secret identities." He bantered back.  
  
"How many do you have?"  
  
"I can't remember, but I'm sure there are girls in love with my looks all over the country."  
  
"Do you get tired of that?"  
  
"My looks?"  
  
"That, and 'girls.'"  
  
Michel looked out the glass wall of the elevator.  
  
"I don't have much of a choice, now do I? I turned when I was 19. 19 Kerry. I'll physically be 19 for the rest of my life. That doesn't bother me much, knowing I'll always be perfect. I never had a chance to get wrinkles."  
  
"Or to have kids. You never had a chance to pass on those superior genes." Kerry didn't know whether to believe his heartfelt admission. This was Ethan after all.  
  
"Who says I haven't? Male vampires aren't completely sterile you know. As far as I know there are thousands off little Michels running around the world."  
  
"Are you saying female vampires are infertile?" Again, with the 'remember how he tricked you last time' mentality.  
  
He looked her in the eye as the elevator stopped at their floor. "Why do you care, you don't want to become one anyway, and no matter how hard you try you'll never know what its like to be forever young." He pushed by her and into their expansive suite.  
  
"I'm going to die!" She dropped the bags she was carrying and sat on a nearby chair.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
"Remember that qualdildo thing? Well I can DO stuff. I never noticed doors opening and anti-theft bags before I was told I had these powers. Now I'm going to die by 25."  
  
"Probably a lot sooner than that." He started to grab the quilt off the huge bed as she followed him into the bedroom. "The Quhadilne use up their brain cells with every little use of their influence. They usually go brain-dead before they die."  
  
"Oh that was just so comforting. Thank you Mr. Consolation."  
  
"You don't need comfort." His voice came muffled from the closet where he seemed to be making a nest out of the blankets. "You need to realize full well what you can do."  
  
"I don't want to do anything else! I'm so tired and headachy from today as it is."  
  
He poked his head out of the closet. "How many times have you used the gorin- that's the official name for the power- today?" He sauntered over and took her head between his hands. Her brain felt faintly rested and she felt herself go limp. 'Too many,' he muttered as he lowered her onto the stripped bed. She grasped his shirt, trying to keep her body close to his while wishing he would kiss her.  
  
He straightened and she didn't have the strength to hold on. "I've got to go." He disappeared into the closet and firmly shut the door. Kerry's last thought was daylight was starting to be her enemy too.  
  
!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!+!  
  
AN- Hey all fellow Companion of the Night fans, and nonfans alike. To forewarn you, the next chapter is going to be incredibly weird. The plot has a mind of its own (as usual, I never have control over my stories) and one of the vampires is going to be stuck outside at dawn. I'll let you choose which one:  
  
Michel, Lestat, or Jesse. which dies?  
  
Tell me in a review, or email. Bye now. 


	5. The one with Yeti popsicles

Title: Darkness of Companions  
  
Based on: Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde  
  
Summary: A sequel to Companions of the Night. Kerry's life is threatened by an unidentifiable source Ethan/Michel seems to understand. He becomes her champion as she recedes farther into the darkness.  
  
Rated: PG13  
  
Author's Note: I do not own any characters. If you don't understand something in this chapter, feel free to ask in a review or email me. I abso-bloody-lutely love feedback.  
  
+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
Coldness started to creep in the room, waking Kerry from a fitful sleep. She felt more tired than she did when she dozed off, and a bit nauseous. She had dreamed that a throng of giant zucchini was stalking her, and Michel was yelling, "Sic her my mountainy mass of mildew."  
  
It would figure he took all the warm blankets, and now the suite was like the artic. She looped the remaining sheet around her trying to keep in the warmth as she padded around the apartment looking for the thermostat. She turned it up and walked into the bathroom to take a hot shower. The room was decorated in soft pastels with little bottles of expensive beauty products lined on the shelf above the sink. The toilet paper was the padded kind that didn't soak through, or crumble as much, and the bathtub was big enough to swim in.  
  
She turned on the hot water and waited for the hot to wash out the cold in the pipes. The water got colder and started to spit sleet onto her hand. Confused, she bent to check the faucet and the freezing water curved and splashed against her torso. She twisted the water off in disgust as she reached for a towel to dry herself off. Kerry grabbed the Mrs. bathrobe, and changed out of her dripping clothes in order to hurry into the living room, where it was surely warmer.  
  
It wasn't. She kicked the wall in frustration trying to calm down enough to think. Her breath was frosting as she placed her hand on the heater. Instead of giving off blessed warm air, it was emitting an artic chill. She struggled to turn it off, but the knob was stuck firmly in place. What the hell was going on?  
  
Kerry rummaged through the two large LaSenza bags to extract the huge fleece pj's Michel had insisted she buy. She grabbed the thickest padded bra she owned and struggled to put it on without losing the bathrobe. She grabbed the tight jeans Michel had loved so much and wriggled into them and looked around for those tops he had grabbed at the last moment. She found them and glared at the gaping holes placed in strategic places in the name of fashion. Figures. She ended up wearing three of his silk shirts, the pj's, his leather jacket, along with the bathrobe over it all.  
  
As much as she hated wearing socks indoors, she put on all they had and wedged her feet into a pair of slippers. Sudden inspiration struck, making her leap over and turn on the air-conditioner. An almost warm breeze wafted through the vents before turning chilly. She grumbled about making it worse and turned the new cool breeze off. Of course this button was jammed too.  
  
She gave up and curled up on the couch, letting her heavy eyes close.  
  
**Wake up you fool.** She could almost feel herself being physically shaken, but not a soul was nearby. Except Michel, but he was truly dead to the world until nightfall. Jarred awake the room felt colder, and she knew she'd have to do something before hypothermia set in. She delved through the storage room and found an emergency heater along with a toolbox. The room just might end up being the most beautiful of all if it kept her alive.  
  
She grabbed the heater, but didn't dare turn it on in fear of the disappointment it would cause if it too turned icy on her. Wrapping a towel around her head she faced the breeze and started to unscrew the air vent. Stuffing the couch pillows in it served the duel purpose of blocking one air supply and keeping her from falling asleep in comfort.  
  
She stood back satisfied and plugged in the tiny heater. It emitted a miniscule amount of heat, which was quickly swallowed up in the wintriness. In a bout of fury she grabbed the hammer and beat the main heater into smithereens. The coldness kept gusting in as she grabbed wires and ripped them completely out of the machine. Defeated, she flung the hammer at the window, figuring it was probably warmer out there anyway.  
  
**STOP!!** She looked at the hammer suspended two inches from the glass and as it toppled to the ground it dawned on her that someone was trying to get her out of the suite. Breaking the window would give them a chance to get in, like this coldness was meant to drive her out. They wanted to get her alone. No, they wanted her to leave Michel alone in order to kill him. Then she would be truly alone and completely vulnerable, or in other words dead.  
  
She was freezing and drowsy, not rational.  
  
She tugged at her uncomfortably damp light-brown hair and resolved to never give in unless she died from the chill. The couch looked like a shell of unyielding wood, and seemed to call to her. Instead of curling up and sleeping, she started to haul it into a corner and tipped it on its side. She pushed her mini-heater into her little shelter and went into the kitchenette for some fuel. She grabbed the kettle and filled it with freezing water, sloshing a bit on her already freezing hands, making her hope it was worth it.  
  
She brought her newly acquired chattel under the couch and thanked God they worked just fine. Soon she was marginally warmer and sipping on bouillon smugly pleased with the warmth in her little hidey-hole.  
  
The element in the heater burned out at approximately 4:45. She desperately tried to retain the heat, but within a few minutes it had all escaped. She could feel it seep through the layers of her clothing until she was almost numb. **Move around you numbskull!**  
  
She scrambled out and began to walk around the apartment. She never liked jumping jacks, but she still found herself doing them.  
  
At exactly 5:17 the sun set. The glass in all the windows shattered. And blessedly Michel awoke from death to devastation.  
  
The closet door slammed and she heard him exclaim, 'merde, its freezing.' She remembered him saying he could only feel extreme temperatures and she started to laugh in relief, or maybe hysterics. Michel anxiously called her name. She ran into his arms and hoped everything would be fine for the moment.  
  
"Are you alright? You're skin is like ice."  
  
She snuggled into his arms. "You're so warm."  
  
He looked startled. "That's the first time a mortal has said that to me in years." She nestled closer and started to cry hysterically. "Whoa, what's going on here cheri?" He started to stroke her hair as she blubbered.  
  
"It was so cold, and the heater and air conditioner wouldn't stop giving off cold air. I didn't know what to do; they would have killed us if I had left."  
  
He had started to maneuver her and the shopping bags out the entrance, where heat immediately hit her. Her toes and fingers started to tingle and she hoped she didn't get frostbite. He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips and muttered that everything would be all right, then bundled them into the elevator to escape.  
  
*~*~*~**~*~*~**~*******~**~*~*~~~~~~~**~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~~~  
  
"It was hilarious when that old lady had to jump out of the way when you waddled out of the elevator."  
  
"Not funny." Kerry rested her head against the cushioned seat in the first class section of an airborne plane. He had rushed her to the Kennedy and they had just caught a plane he suspiciously already had tickets for.  
  
"I can still hear her screaming 'YETI' as you turned and knocked her over."  
  
"Could we please not talk about this?"  
  
"Then the manager came running after us and wrenched the robe off while berating you for stealing."  
  
"Just wait until he sees the room." She muttered trying to marginally change the subject from her bad luck.  
  
"Oh, don't worry, I own the hotel." She couldn't tell if he was joking. "I thought I was going to die when you got stuck in the revolving door."  
  
"You only liked the fact I had to strip off a few layers to get out."  
  
"I liked the fact that someone tried to pay you for the show."  
  
"I didn't take off that much."  
  
"No, but you wriggled a lot." He put earphones on and started to listen to a tape on how to teach yourself Swahili. He had grabbed that in the gift shop along with two ridiculously expensive suitcases. She had asked him why he picked Swahili, and he had said he already listened to all the other tapes. She was pretty sure there were more than twenty in the selection.  
  
She tugged on her ridiculous tube-top- the only thing left of her layers, for Michel had refused to let her continue wearing one of his shirts- and tried to cover up. She resigned herself to her fate of probably flashing someone and continued to block out the annoying flight attendant. They were all offered complimentary food and drink, and Michel was wise enough to accept his so she could eat it. She hadn't eaten much since the Chinese food two nights ago, and the soup this afternoon. She gulped down Michel's free food before he could even offer it to her.  
  
A few minutes later she had to go to the bathroom. She crawled over a nonresponsive Michel and walked over to the door. At that moment the plane jerked and the door swung, knocking her onto the ground. She picked herself up and slammed into the bathroom. A few minutes later she emerged to find most of the other passengers smiling at her, she dutifully ignored them and sat down beside Michel. He reached over and pulled her top back over her bra, leering.  
  
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AN_ Hey. where do you think they are going? The vote is still on for who dies. Anyway, hope you had fun reading. 


	6. The one with naked protesters

Title: Darkness of Companions  
  
Based on: Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde  
  
Summary: A sequel to Companions of the Night. Kerry's life is threatened by an unidentifiable source Ethan/Michel seems to understand. He becomes her champion as she recedes farther into the darkness.  
  
Rated: PG15. this chapter is less than appropriate.  
  
Author's Note: I do not own any characters. This chapter is pretty much humourous relief. I promise it gets more serious. ;D  
  
+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
"I can't believe you brought me to Canada!"  
  
"I can't believe you weren't paying attention all through the flight until they announced the final destination."  
  
She continued to drag her suitcase through the large terminal wondering what was in Canada. "I don't even own a passport." He handed her an official paper covered with a red slipcover. She watched him continue to calmly walk toward the car rental. His back was straight and he was loosely carrying his suitcase with one hand as his wide stride practically ate up the floor. She noticed a group of girls about her age stopped to stare at him. Was there ever a time he didn't look sexy?  
  
The suitcase he had ungentlemanly forced her to carry banged across her knee sharply as she scuttled after him. The gray tile was wet with melted snow and she skidded the last few steps into his unyielding butt. *synonym for unyielding- firm :D) He exasperatedly helped her up and finished signing the required papers for the rental as she twiddled her thumbs.  
  
"Mrs. DeBlass?" Michel jarred her sharply with his elbow.  
  
"Yes, I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention." She tried to smile charmingly like Mr. Obnoxious was doing, but the salesclerk only snarled at her and practically stabbed her with a pen.  
  
"Co-sign here."  
  
"Uh. Ethan. Whom do I sign as?" The salesclerk looked at her as if she was stupid and Ethan looked as if he wanted to destroy her.  
  
"Either your maiden name- Kerry Nowicki, your married name- Kerry DeBlass, or both- Kerry Nowicki DeBlass. You should have thought of this before the wedding."  
  
"Oh, you think you're so funny." She signed with the last one as he muttered 'newly weds' to the salesclerk and she nodded sympathetically. Without looking like he was in too much of a rush, he grabbed the keys and walked out of the station, leaving her to drag her suitcase along again. He was waiting leaned against the car door, and watched her struggle to put her luggage in the trunk.  
  
"Are you done yet?"  
  
Kerry snarled and tried to balance the case on one knee and foist it in. She ended up falling on her butt for the millionth time that night. He got in the car to wait for her. She scrambled in and hit her head on the roof, by this time she was in a foul mood.  
  
"Do you know what's in Canada? Snow, that's what's in Canada. Snow and Frenchmen." He gave her a sharp look. Whoops, that's right, he was a Frenchman. "Why couldn't we have gone somewhere with a beach, after the experience I had today, all I want to be is hot."  
  
"I'll give you hot." He blinked. Whoops, got sidetracked there. "There is nothing wrong with Frenchmen, or snow for that matter."  
  
"I didn't say there was. I like Canada. I probably like it more than most Americans since I was born here."  
  
"You were born here? Then you should know how awesome it is. It's not that much different from the states." He turned around the corner still trying to sell Canada's attributes. Throngs of overcoat-wearing people were crowded against the fence carrying signs reading 'We Were All Born Unique, Say NO to Commercialism.' Michel gestured to them as he drove through the fence. "See, they even have protesters."  
  
The protesters ran out in front of the car and Michel had to stop dead before running them down. The leader, an old woman with bluish hair and cateye-framed glasses, walked up to the hood of their car. She yelled, 'Drop Materialism,' and yanked off her over-coat. Her fifty or so followers followed in suit.  
  
Kerry jammed her eyes closed. "Oh I just knew I was going to get flashed when I was with you." He leaned on the horn and started to inch his way through. Naked protesters dove out of the way as they realized he didn't intent on stopping. The car tire bumped over someone's foot and they could hear a little scream of pain. Naked people were piling up on the side of the street trying frantically to get off of each other's nude bodies.  
  
One particular fat die-hard held his ground and refused to move. Michel blared his horn and ran the poor fool over. He flopped against the windshield for a few seconds, his bitch-tits squashed before Kerry's face, prior to falling with a squawk to the ground. Kerry figured that was a sight she wouldn't get out of her head easily.  
  
Michel rounded the corner and sped away with a few undressed souls jogging flappily behind. "Canada also has crazy flashing protesters." Kerry deadpanned.  
  
Trying to marginally change the subject as one jogger still followed yelling something indistinguishable, Michel muttered, "So why didn't you tell me you were originally Canadian?"  
  
"Why didn't you tell me you were Canadian?"  
  
"I'm not, I was born in France and my family moved to North America for the smuggling trade." That was the most information he had ever specified about himself, and yet he still hadn't given her any hint about his true age. So he was a French smuggler's child named Michel, who may or may not have grown up around the area she had. All this of course could be a lie.  
  
"I get it, you're a Canadian wannabe." He frowned and stomped on the breaks just as the light turned red. The nude marathon-runner behind them slammed into the back of the car. People were staring and pointing as the woman yanked a trench coat from the back bumper and hastily put it on. She gave Michel a rude gesture and huffed away.  
  
~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~%~  
  
Kerry awoke around noon, hungry and irritated. She found herself in a small apartment containing a bedroom/kitchenette and a bathroom. Surprisingly the kitchen was stocked with food. She cooked a huge meal consisting egg rolls, pizza, spaghetti, and subs. It took her an hour to finish it all, and she was pleased with her first full meal in days. Afterward she washed and dressed in preparation for leaving the apartment.  
She found the door locked from the outside. She mentally pictured the lock turning in her mind and the handle turned easily in her hand. Delighted with herself she walked into a large hallway lined with similar doors. It reminded her somewhat of a dorm.  
  
The place was deserted as she found the steps and hurried down them. The dim emptiness was scaring her as she rushed out the door with a red glowing 'exit' overhead. She found herself shielding her eyes from the glaring sun as the door locked close behind her. With dread she tried to mentally open it, but found herself locked out of the building Michel had placed her.  
  
He probably wouldn't be incredibly pleased with her, but then again when was he?  
  
So she was stranded in Toronto with no protection. So what, it was Canada, its not like anything exciting ever happened here. Heck, the streets were even clean.  
  
She looked up at the building, expecting to see a windowless structure. It looked quite normal from the outside, yet the room she was in had no windows. She concluded it was a vampire ruse to blend in, with the windows bricked in on the inside. Memorizing the street number she walked away from the building and turned a corner, wondering if she could find the CN tower before sunset.  
  
She found herself in front of the Harbourfront Antique Market, and since it was free admission, she decided to explore. As expected, the prices were ridiculous and the proprietors kept shooting her dirty looks when she walked in wearing Michel's leather jacket. Couldn't they tell it was real leather, and probably antique too by the look of it? They were supposed to have a good eye for quality. She gave up, figuring if they had a piece of Wedgwood Fairyland, they would know how much it was worth.  
  
The CN tower was only a few blocks away, its reflection in the glass of a nearby glass building testimony to that. The air was crisp, and the skies grew darker, promising snow as she hurried towards the national treasure. She looked straight up as snowflakes started to tumble from the sky, melting on her eyelashes. She blinked them off and pushed into the world's tallest building. An escalator ran down into a huge gift shop, and an area to purchase elevator tickets. She noticed there was a giant stenciling of the world engraved into the tile floor.  
  
Wandering around the vast bottom-floor gift shop she spotted shelves of Canada, Toronto, and CN Tower souvenirs. Nothing grabbed her attention as she browsed while looking for the time. She wasn't sure when she lost her watch, but it was like losing an arm. She found one of a beaver butt, with a stick and the tail as the hands. She thought it was hilarious and searched for money in her jacket pocket. She wondered briefly where the credit card with her name on it came from as the salesclerk ran it up. She briefly contemplated getting a novelty watch for Michel, but she was pretty sure he was a huge walking clock. She grinned as an old joke about sundials and penises evoked pleasant mental images.  
  
With a watch on her arm she was utterly aware how close to sundown it was. She barely had half an hour to make it back to Michel. She hurried back up the escalator and into the white streets of Toronto. The snow was beating into her eyes as she brought her hand up to guard them. Turning, she hurried back from whence she came, hoping she could recall the exact location. A snowplow plowed by with no consideration to pedestrians and splashed her completely with dirty slush. She hurried on for a few blocks until she could no longer feel her legs.  
  
Scurrying into the nearest store, she hoped to find wearable clothes. Instead she found herself in the middle of a sex shop looking at the biggest dildo she had ever seen. But there had been a clothes display in the window! She turned to the window and found that in her blindness she was actually looking at an erotic scene she rather would not examine closely. A saleslady tapped her on the arm as she tried to inch her way out casually.  
  
"My dear, you are absolutely soaked." Kerry turned and she gasped. "Why, that is the loveliest leather jacket I have ever seen."  
  
"I knew it, everyone keeps mistaking it for pleather."  
  
"I own a sex shop, I know leather, and that is gorgeous." She gestured to all the S&M costumes and whips around the store and Kerry wondered if it was too late to get out. The kind proprietor started to maneuver her towards the back of the store. "Now why don't you take a shower while I try to find something appropriate to wear with this incredible jacket."  
  
Kerry almost signed in relief when she spotted the huge shower in the backroom bathroom. She was just about to close the door when the lady asked her to wait for a moment. Kerry smiled at the sweet old lady, and thought that maybe sex shops weren't as bad as she had thought. The woman returned and handed her a sheet of paper.  
  
"What's this?"  
  
"A release form. We take no responsibility if someone tapes you in the shower and sells it to horny teenagers over the web." Kerry goggled. "I'm joking of course." The lady pulled away the sheet. "I can't resist pulling that prank on every opportunity."  
  
When she left Kerry looked apprehensively at the shower. She finally compromised and got in with her underwear on. The shop sold seduction- specialized lingerie, so it wasn't as if she would go without. After a quick shower, she looked around the room hoping there would be some dry clothes available. On the back of the door hung a harem-girl outfit. She cursed her luck.  
  
Grabbing a towel she covered herself, slipped on a patch of water, and almost fell into the toilet. Looking into the bowl, she spotted many built-in pleasure devices, and decided any urge she had to pee was definitely gone. Slipping on the white pants and gilded micro-top she left the veil on the hook and walked out the door. A second later she grabbed the veil, supposing the total masquerade might be quite entertaining.  
  
Walking into the store she headed towards the underwear rack. Her eyes widened at the strap of material that had tiny circles sewn in for the nipple. She really, really hated this. She finally found a really cute set of bra, thong, and garter-belt that had enough material for her to feel like she was actually wearing something. She walked around the rack and headed back towards the bathroom. A man grabbed her arm and started to rub inappropriately against her.  
  
"Well look-y here, live porn." She tried to pull away, but he groped up her arm and grasped the sleeve of her top. She twirled around, full of rage. The top ripped, sending sequins flying everywhere. The man yelled about getting a damn bead in his eye as he stalked out of the store.  
  
The kind lady rushed over and helped her off the floor. "Why did he attack me like that?" Kerry was having trouble keeping her nerves. It seemed to be just one thing after another.  
  
"Well honey, those pants are semi-transparent."  
  
She blanched. "Oh, sorry. I'm sorry about the customer too."  
  
"He wasn't really a customer. Just some pervert who comes in occasionally to get a cheap thrill out of touching the underwear."  
  
"Talking about underwear, I'd like to buy these please," She held up the lingerie in her hand and took out her credit card. ". and compensate you for this outfit."  
  
"Well my dear, it's not legal for me to sell the undergarments to minors."  
  
"How old do I have to be?" She wondered exactly how old she looked.  
  
"Nineteen." Kerry scowled and fingered the credit card Michel had procured for her, probably illegally. She looked down and had trouble concealing surprised glee from her face. The card stated her age as twenty-one.  
  
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	7. The one where they dream

Title: Darkness of Companions  
  
Based on: Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde  
  
Summary: A sequel to Companions of the Night. Kerry's life is threatened by an unidentifiable source Ethan/Michel seems to understand. He becomes her champion as she recedes farther into the darkness.  
  
Rated: PG15  
  
Author's Note: I do not own any characters. My serious chapter. Of course, serious to me doesn't mean humourless. I'd rather gouge my eyes out and feed them to my fish than write something witless.  
  
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She walked out the door wearing a leather skirt so tiny her garter bands were showing. The store didn't handle anything with more material than the bra she found, she ended up freezing her butt of only wearing sexy underwear and a Barbie skirt along with Michel's wonderful jacket. Surprisingly the whole ensemble had come up to five hundred dollars. Lucky for her, a purchase of that size warrants a free gift. She didn't really want to know what a Magic Banana was. The perverted nice old lady must have picked up on sexual deprivation because for the heck of it she had thrown in The Eroscillator 2 Vibrator and a box of Rich Dark Chocolate Trojans. She just hoped she didn't get mugged.  
  
Her watch said it was five minutes after sunset. He probably wouldn't look for her the minute after he awoke, he had to find a victim first- right? He certainly was tired of her trailing around with him. Yeah. sure. He was going to skin her alive and then dump her in a vat of un- diluted vinegar. She never should have left the disheartening little chamber she was abandoned in. What was wrong with her?  
  
She picked up her pace, and surprisingly found the building easily. Just as she reached the bottom of the steps a couple decked out in more leather than even she was wearing, (not hard considering she had on a jacket and a facecloth) eyed her closely as they emerged from the building. For the first time she saw that not all vampires were as indiscrete and brilliant as Michel was. they even looked like the stereotypical bloodsucker, and they were thirsty. She suddenly wondered if not mandatorily killing a human while feeding was only something 'demons' like Michel practiced.  
  
The man came over and placed his glove-clad hand heavily on her shoulder. Her knees felt like they were going to collapse as he pressed her callously towards the ground. His companion sneered and pressed her foot into the back of Kerry's knee. She felt herself lose control of her posture and fall brutally to the unyielding cement sidewalk. Her head hit against the marble stairs of the Vampire Residence and her sight exploded into a bright flash of twinkling light before everything faded black.  
  
When her eyes blinked open she found herself in a romantically lit and airy room with billowing tulle curtains in numerous pastel colours. They all appeared whitish in the harsh glow of the summer sun. A warm breeze wafted the hem of her soft white toga-like dress across bare feet. She knew by instinct she had seen this place somewhere before. A carved mahogany jewelry-box lay open haphazardly on an antique looking dresser. She looked down at the myriad of tangled jewels someone obviously didn't appreciate. Without thinking she plunged her hand into the disarray and withdrew an untangled necklace with a dewdrop diamond pendant. She automatically knew the gem was meant for her, and it was the most natural thing for her to slip the heavy diamond over her head.  
  
It nestled almost coolly between her breasts as she turned away from the dresser. She walked through the large open bay windows and found herself on a beautiful white marble terrace overlooking a bleached sandy beach of the Mediterranean. Her eyes fixed on a handsomely chiseled gold statuette of Adonis. His well defined *cough* package had been made into a water spouting fountain. She turned away faintly embarrassed towards the teal blue sea. The water was so clear and still she could see the outline of a large fish swimming in the direction of the house.  
  
Only when he came up for air and the sun gleamed on his saturated ebony hair did she realize it was a man. He tossed his locks out of his face and shaded his eyes as he looked towards her and smiled charmingly. Her first thought was this must be what Armand from The Vampire Chronicles looked like, and this was just like the setting in Queen of the Damned. The man was beckoning her to him. She pulled up the hem of her dress and hurried down the disquietingly steep stairs. The figure was still far into the water as she stumbled in the direction of the water, kicking up sand. She stopped suddenly as the realization hit her that this was Michel in the water, and it was day. She stared at his smiling face in the light as he stopped smiling and looked at her with concern. With a gleeful chuckle she stepped into the warm water and let her dress fall down around her.  
  
The toga started to float around her ankles as she walked to him. The water was seeping up and plastering the white linen to her legs. Completely submerging herself she dove into the water and swam. She stayed under until she felt as if her lungs were going to burst. Kicking to the surface she gulped down air as strong arms pulled her against a hard body. Her mind briefly registered that he was naked, which only made her more aware of how transparent her outfit had become in the water.  
  
With his hand pressed against the hollow of her back he pressed his leg between hers and lowered his mouth to her waiting lips. She tangled her hands through his hair and clung as he ended the kiss.  
  
"Oh Kerry." He pulled away, pausing for a moment to touch the pendant and smile forlornly at her. She reached for him.  
  
"Kerry!" Her whole body physically shook as her Mediterranean world faded away and she found herself in Michel's arms in the desolately cold and dark streets of Toronto. "Kerry, wake up." His voice almost took on an apprehensive tenor as he shook her shoulders again.  
  
She reached up and touched his hand. "Michel?" His breath expelled in relief. "How much blood did I lose?"  
  
"You aren't bleeding honey."  
  
"But the vampires."  
  
His eyes narrowed. "There were no vampires." He hauled her roughly to her feet. She tentatively touched her neck.  
  
"How can you be sure?"  
  
"Because you would reek of them. Vampires can always tell when a human was once bitten." He started to drag her down the street. He stopped at the corner, grabbing her shoulders forcefully and faced her. "None of my kind would dare to touch you." She was about to ask why when his eyes widened.  
  
"Where did that necklace come from?" He pulled down the zipper of her jacket and diffidently picked up the pendant. She gasped and her eyes met his just as a cop pushed them apart citing the Miranda law.  
  
~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@  
  
The bars opened to the cage she had been trapped in for half the night. She looked up expectantly as the cop beckoned her out. She cringed, terrified as Sally-the-manly-lesbian came over and squashed her into a tight hug. The cop escorted her out, and they met Michel and his escort at an intersection of lockups.  
  
"What the hell are you wearing?" He glanced leeringly at her outfit.  
  
"It's not my fault you look like a pimp."  
  
"I look like a pimp? You look like a transvestite whore." They glared at each other as the police officers led them towards a laughing Lestat.  
  
"Well Michel, this is quite a fix you got yourself into this time. What was it I heard about you soliciting prostitution?"  
  
He glared at her. "Ask the prostitute." He pointed his thumb and began to walk towards the door. The officer behind the desk called for him to retrieve his personal belongings. Kerry almost keeled over and died right there. The cop placed all of her free sex toys on the counter, calling them by name. Lestat exploded with laughter, Michel looked at her with bemused sexual tension and Kerry put her hands over her eyes, groaning.  
  
"It was free." She muttered red faced as she grabbed the bag. The Magical Banana fell out at Michel's feet and he swooped to pick it up.  
  
"I don't want to know." She grabbed it and tried to throw it out. He snatched her arm and wrestled the thing out of her weak grasp, placing it back in the bag. The cops muttered it was that kind of temper that made him bring down Bob when the other man had tried to cop a feel.  
  
"Bob?"  
  
"Don't ask and I won't make judgments as to why you have sex toys."  
  
"It's totally platonic and explainable."  
  
Suddenly there was silence amount the officers. A huge man in a wheelchair was pushed into the reception area with both legs in casts and his face beat unrecognizably. He looked like a grizzly bear wearing clothes.  
  
"Ahh, Bob." She grinned at Michel. The man looked over and growled dangerously. Michel quickly put himself between her and the injured man as hulk launched himself out of the wheelchair. The act was pointless and the man landed sprawled writhing on the cheaply tiles floor. He looked like a fish now.  
  
Michel stepped undauntedly over him and walked out the door. Giving the still dangerous looking crying man wide berth she hurried after him. Jesse wove cheerfully from Michel's two-seater sports car. Lestat hurried over and got in beside her and wove while urging her to drive. Michel ran after them, arms flailing wildly, as he cursed them for stealing his car in front of the police station. The police looked on with mild disinterest.  
  
He sauntered back mildly and offered her his arm. "I guess that means we are walking. So tell me, why are you dressed like a horny biker-chick?"  
  
"I got splashed with slush by some asshole and the only store with clothes open was a sex shop. The old lady must have picked up on sexual deprivation because she gave me all this free stuff when I bought the stupid underwear and skirt."  
  
"What skirt? Oh, I didn't see it."  
  
She elbowed him sharply in the ribs knowing full well it wouldn't hurt him.  
He keeled over and looked at her in surprise. "Oh My God! What happened?"  
  
"I'm just joking." He straightened with little effort. His gaze fell upon her neck again. "Where did you get that necklace?"  
  
"I had a dream about it. I don't know how I really got it. Why?"  
  
"It was my mother's." A chill went down Kerry's spine. "She gave it to the girl I was betrothed to." Her hand reached up and grabbed the necklace. She started to slide it off when he stopped her. "I want you to have it. it looks good on you." He watched it fall back to between her cleavage- damn pushup bras.  
  
He reached over and grasped her hand, continuing to walk. A car swung around the corner dangerously fast and she gasped as the headlights played over their features as the car unrelentingly sped for them. Michel snarled, grabbed her, and yanked them both back onto the sidewalk, protecting her with his body. The car slammed into his exposed back- not even his vampiric powers could help him move that fast- and they both flew into the air. He twisted mid-air and she landed on him as they skidded across the sidewalk.  
  
Kerry pushed herself off him gingerly. Her pant leg was covered with his blood, and he didn't look to be conscious. His breath was coming out so fast it almost sounded normal. The car had disappeared out of view and she completely forgot to memorize the license plate with her growing concern for the injured Michel. His left leg was shredded to a bloody pulp and twisted at a painful angle where they both landed on it.  
  
"Michel?" She wiped the side of his face with the sleeve of her jacket. The dirt smeared more and was prevalent against his pallor- almost transparent- skin. He moaned and his eyelashes started to flutter painfully open. His face grimaced in pain as he continued to bleed. She grabbed the clothes she had worn that morning out of the sex-shop bag and pressed the top against his leg. In moments it was saturated with blood. He didn't begin to heal.  
  
"What's wrong?" He tried to push himself into a sitting position. "No don't!" She practically pressed him back onto the ground. He curled into a ball as much as he could and began to shake. Tears began to stream down Kerry's face as she tried unsuccessfully to help. "Why aren't you healing?"  
  
He didn't answer for a while; he seemed to be fighting sleep. "I haven't fed for more than a week."  
  
"But you went out to eat the night Lestat showed up."  
  
"No time, you were in danger." He coughed up blood and Kerry realized a broken leg wasn't the greatest danger. He probably had internal injuries.  
  
She leaned close to him. "Feed off me."  
  
"No!" She moved her hair from her neck and offered again. He weakly pushed her away. "I have plans for you and it isn't on a rat-infested street."  
  
She wanted to tell him to stop being foolish, but he had drifted into a comatose state. She couldn't tell if his heart was still beating and she commenced panicking- until he convulsed. The tears were coming freely now as she yelled for someone to help her. No one came.  
  
Kerry jerkily got to her feet and placed her jacket over him, donning her blood-soaked top. She could hear the traffic on a nearby street. She hurried to the end of the street, not letting him out of her sight. For the first time in the history of Toronto, there wasn't a soul around. He started to cough up blood again as she rushed to his side.  
  
On inspiration she gently opened his mouth and roughly drew her finger against his incisor. A drop of blood fell from her finger and trailed its way down his tongue, then disappeared into the throat. This was followed by another, and another, until she was freely bleeding. The wound began to clot and she withdrew her arm. He sharply grabbed her wrist and ripped her flesh open in one sharp bite. Kerry watched wide- eyed as he feverishly drank her life.  
  
Her heart began to pound, straining against the loss of cells. She gently tried to pull her arm away as the cold air settled smotheringly upon her bare skin. Her head was spinning, breath panting, and wetness pooled between her legs. He held her more firmly in place, until she was too weak to resist. He pulled away just as she drifted out of awareness. In some recess of her mind still anchored in reality she heard his horrified, infuriated voice calling to her.  
  
She dreamt of him in that deep abyss she was weakly thrust into. The horror of his life started when the dark haired beauty who looked to be his mother promised her first-born to a handsome stranger who saved her life from an over-turned rowboat. His mother had forgotten about the foolish and romantically worded pledge she made when she was thirteen. At her debutant ball she had met a debonair smuggler and they had a whirlwind courtship, followed by a wedding. A few months after their first son, Gaston Michel Paresse, was born they traveled to America to help the loyalists flee to Canada.  
  
Little 'Gassy' *Kerry snickers mid-dream* grew up fearing the dark shadows always rampant on their shady farm. Sometimes he would wake to find a monster standing at the foot of the bed he shared with his two younger brothers. As all first-born boys, he was treated as the heir to the family fortune and picked his second cousin as the girl he would wed. On his nineteenth birthday the family had gathered to celebrate their upcoming marriage. That was the night the promise was fulfilled.  
  
Kerry watched in her helpless dream-state as Michel was grabbed from the porch of his whitewashed plantation house and forced to watch his family go up in flames before they turned him. One of his younger brothers had jumped out a second-story window, only to break his neck on the landing. The next night he had come back, his spectacular vision able to make out his fiancé's charred body in the position she died in- trying to crawl towards the door. The necklace Kerry was currently wearing the only thing recognizable. He spent years tracking down the vampires involved and killing them off one by one, but it couldn't compensate for what he had lost.  
  
Kerry awoke crying, feeling his anguish. She shivered and reached a hand up to touch the surreal necklace around her neck. She couldn't feel the cool metal through a bandage wrapped around her hand. The connection to her apparition faded and she realized she was curled once again against Michel. or Gaston. There was no way in heck she was going to change what she called him again, besides, in the dream they had called him Michel when he hit teenage-hood. She slowly unwrapped the bandage to find her wrist completely healed. The dressing was caked with blood, but either with vampiric help, or her own strange abilities, it had healed as she slept.  
  
It fell to the ground as she turned her body to look at Michel. His arm was firmly around her, hampering most movements. She was pleased that she didn't need to use the bathroom at the moment. He was remarkably clean, with all his wounds healed. She sighed in relief at the fact her blood had helped him recover. She snuggled as best she could against his stone countenance and began to think of all the traumatic things that happened to her since they had united again.  
  
The solution hit her in the gut. Could the 'they' Michel kept referring to be one person? It seemed so obvious now, only one person wanted her dead, and she had an inkling as to who it was.  
  
The only problem was her theory had huge gaping holes an elephant could rumba through. The urge hit to use the bathroom so she fought her way through Michel's clutches, accidentally kneeing him in the crotch, and scurried over to the toilet.  
  
After she was done, she curled back up beside Michel and fell asleep, only to be haunted by him in her dreams. A few hours later, he was pleasantly surprised to find her still calmly sleeping where he had left her. He grinned, relaxed with the knowledge he wouldn't have to track her down this time, and pulled her against him with mortal-like affection. For a moment he relished the feel of a soft human body, knowing his secrets yet still willing to be by his side.  
  
Then he remembered he had almost drained her the night before. He pushed her away in disgust- revulsion for her innocence, lack of understanding, and unselfishness, but most of all for his own weakness. Sitting up, a soft blue sheet covering him from the midriff down, he ran his hands through his hair in the nervous gesture he had fruitlessly attempted to sever from his childhood.  
  
Didn't she understand she was now tarnished forever? A vampire's used goods. While it was true that his kind would be able to smell it off her, they also wouldn't hesitate to use her for a quick bite. Once tainted, always tainted. It was like losing one's virginity, on a much more dangerous level. Most vampires would relish the thought of killing someone he had newly bitten. That's why he always tried to feed off the 'vampire whores.' She was now a hindrance to him.  
  
As Kerry's potent blood pulsed vigorously through his ancient veins, giving him more power than he experienced in a long time, he plotted how to slay her. He only hoped he could make it as painless as possible.  
  
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	8. The one into the mountains

Title:  Darkness of Companions

Based on:  Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde

Summary:   A sequel to Companions of the Night.   Kerry's life is threatened by an unidentifiable source Ethan/Michel seems to understand.   He becomes her champion as she recedes farther into the darkness.

Rated: PG13

Author's Note:   I do not own any characters.  This is the second last chapter… hence why it is so short.   Anyone remember when I said I'd rather gouge out my eyes and feed them to my fish than write something humourless?   Well my fish is dead.   All mourn Limar, the gay Japanese Fighting Fish.

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Michel had awoke her a few hours before and commanded she get dressed.   She had looked up at him bleary eyed and suggested they stay in bed all night instead.   His gaze had saddened, and for a second he looked wistful before he shut the emotions off.   After she had emerged from the bathroom, he had roughly grabbed and kissed her briefly before walking out the door, leaving her to scramble after him confused and heart pounding.

Now they were driving through the darkness again, headed for the Calabogie Peaks Ski Resort.   Michel said he didn't want her lying to her father, and Lestat and Jesse were meeting them up there at his cabin.   Knowing Michel it was a small fortress, and the hills themselves were huge and treacherous.   What kind of name was Calabogie anyway?

He pulled into a secluded driveway that appeared to be recently plowed and turned off the car lights.    Kerry jumped as a branch scraped across her window like fingernails on a chalkboard.    The trees were barely visible on the black country road, but the snow managed to find some light to reflect making it a shimmering gray.    Michel sped up.

"Could you turn the lights on?   You're making me nervous."

"No, you'll see the reason soon enough."   She sat back in uncomfortable dark silence, knowing she should feel secure with him at the wheel, but there seemed to be something different about their relationship.    She put it down to the fact she had saved his life for the second time and tried futilely to see the nose of the car.    He pushed her back and grumbled he couldn't see through her head.   

She sulked for a few moments until his hunting lodge came in view.    The bright lights were twinkling from a large wooden structure on the hill.   Only glimpses could be seen through the trees, and she watched in anticipation for her first glance of its complete grandeur.    Michel grinned with pride as her eyes widened and she gave a small involuntary gasp.

They pulled into a dark garage and Michel left her to navigate in the shadows towards the door on her own.   She felt as if the dark was suffocating her, and for the first time in days she remembered the winged shadow phenomenon taking place when Michel first showed up.

Lestat and Jesse were exuberantly welcoming Michel into his own home as she finally made it through the garage in one piece.    They both looked at her and quickly turned their gaze towards Michel.   Jesse's eyes had tears in them, as Lestat looked at him in enraged condemnation.  

"You drank from her."    The rock-star grabbed Michel and started to pull him toward the kitchen.   "I thought you said she was special.    She wasn't meant to be touched."

"You know I can still hear you guys."  Kerry claimed, watching as Michel punched Lestat in the nose.    The blondish man stumbled backwards into the kitchen with Michel walking calmly behind him, slamming the door.   She turned to Jesse.    "What's going on?"

The auburn haired woman surged into tears.    Kerry couldn't hear the men in the kitchen through her blubbering.    "What is it?"   Jesse backed away as Kerry reached out to put an arm on her shoulder.

"You let him drink from you."

"Of course, he was hit by a car, bleeding and unconscious.   He needed nourishment so I gave it to him."

"He was unconscious… so you force fed him?"

"Yes."   Kerry sat down, weary of the questions.   Why was everyone so upset?    The rocking chair collapsed under her weight.   She jumped up, glaring at the chair, and wondering how many pounds she had gained lately.   With the infrequency she was eating, she would have assumed she lost some.

Jesse looked scandalized.   "You sat in the chair."

"Some chair, it didn't even hold me up."    She kicked a shard as Jesse gasped.

"No, it's THE CHAIR.   Michel made it when he was thirteen."    Kerry looked down at the pile of sawdust at her feet.   She looked towards the kitchen, where a low murmuring could be heard, and started to kick the shards of wood under the couch.   She jammed the backrest under just as a mouse scampered by her arm.   Screaming, she jumped onto the couch, expelling a cloud of dust.

Michel crashed out of the kitchen, surveyed the room, scooped up the cowering mouse, and disappeared again.    If she had blinked, she would have missed his heroic gesture.   Faster than a speeding bullet… she hoped that didn't mean Superman was a vampire.

By this time Jesse seemed to have calmed down.    Kerry perched herself on the edge of the couch, aware that there was probably a colony of rodents under her.    She let herself down easy, scared it too would collapse, but she should have known that even if it did she had stuffed enough wood under there for it to stay up anyway.    Turning to Jesse conversationally, she hoped nothing else distressed the woman. 

"Tell me more about the Quhadilne."

"They live in fear of _the Quhadila_ returning.    She tried to expel the world humans by setting the plague on them a few centuries back.    She normally isn't violent, but I'm pretty sure this one was mentally insane.    Another hasn't been born since, as far as we know.    Vampires particularly like her, if they partake in drinking her blood, they can live for days in the light."

"You keep referring to her as a female."

"She always is."

"Then could I be…"

"No.   A vampire can always sense her presence.    I hate to be brutal, but as far as powers go, you have very little."

"If she has so much power, can a vampire kill her?"

"That's the ultimate question.   Many vampires have searched all their lives for her.    It's like the quest for hidden treasure or immortality for humans.   Like… the Holy Grail."   She took a breath.   "It's believed that if we drain her blood and convert her, the vampire can live forever in the sunlight, and she'll have immortality."

"So vampires desire sunlight above all?"

Jesse's features turned sad.   "Most do.   It's the only thing not at our fingertips.   We have a primal urge to masochistically stand outside and watch our last sunrise."

Kerry shivered, remembering the pain Michel went through when he was caught in the rays for a moment.    It was probably quite a painful process just to see the sun.    She remembered whats-her-face's crispy body she helped dispose of, and wondered if her last moments in the sun were enjoyable.   She doubted it.

Michel and Lestat finally emerged from the kitchen.    Kerry jumped up and headed towards them.   Michel crossed his arms over his chest and opened his mouth to say something.   She pushed pasted him to the kitchen door.   "Finally, I thought you guys would never leave.   I need food."

The black haired vampire looked at the married couple and the both shook their heads.   Kerry opened to fridge to find it empty except for a familiar green glob of grossness.    

"It followed us!"   She yelled stepping back.   Lestat crowded behind her and wrinkled his nose in disgust.   

"What's with the zucchini?   You don't have some kind of zucchini fetish we don't know about, do you?"

"That one isn't a zucchini."   They both looked at Michel questioningly until he elaborated.    "It's a cucumber."

"In the sex shop I was in they had a vibrating cucumber."   Kerry mused out loud.

"EUGH, dude, what are you _doing_ with the vegetables."

Michel stalked away muttering 'sickos.'    Kerry reached into the fridge and grabbed the slithering springy semi-solid slop.    A string slipped between her fingers and landed on her shoe, before she chucked it at Michel.     It splattered nicely against his back, and Lestat surprised her by turning for a 'high five' as Michel continued to walk out the door.   He just yanked off his shirt and dumped it over Jesse's head.   Kerry scowled as she innocently wiped her hand on Lestat's shoulder.  The man ran over to help his wife as Kerry pushed down on a kitchen chair, testing it before sitting.

It didn't look like she'd be eating anything tonight.

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Look, I know none of you want Michel to kill Jesse, but I think it would be fun if you tried to guess what happens in the next [and last] chapter.  Plus I'd love reviews.   Even if you've already reviewed this story, I'd still love to hear from you… I'm shameless, I know.

----Wait!  Where are you going?  Reviewing is that way----

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	9. The one with Neowhatsits?

Title:  Darkness of Companions

Based on:  Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde

Summary:   A sequel to Companions of the Night.   Kerry's life is threatened by an unidentifiable source Ethan/Michel seems to understand.   He becomes her champion as she recedes farther into the darkness.

Rated: PG13

Author's Note:   I do not own any characters.  WOOOO!!! LAST CHAPTER!!!   This was so much fun to write and all that other crap authors say for their last chapter.   This chapter is fast paced and very likely confusing as heck.   Ask any questions you want, and answers you shall receive.   As long as I receive review… you know how it works.

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Michel had her by the hand and was leading her through the woods behind his lodge.   They were both wearing snowshoes, which made holding hands difficult.   She kept stepping on the back of his snowshoe and he would almost fall over.   She figured he'd only take so much of this before he killed her or picked her up and carried her.   She was hoping for the latter.

Michel stopped dead, causing Kerry to run into him.   She fell on her bottom, and couldn't get to her feet because of the bulky snowshoes.   He looked at her flopping in amusement for a minute before lifting her easily with one arm.    She found they were on the ridge of a cliff overlooking inky blackness.    A small town twinkled gaily far in the distance, a beacon in the wilderness.   The sight was eerie.

Michel put his hand on the small of her back and pushed her forward.   For a moment she thought he was going to push her right off the cliff.   He stopped when she was just in front of him and snaked his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder.   They stayed in that position until Kerry could no longer feel her toes.    Her leg cramped and she fell forward, bringing a startled Michel with her.   He caught his balance at the last moment and pulled them both away from the edge.

Sitting in the cold snow with one of the snowshoes stuck under her, Kerry faced him.   Michel was looking at her with more emotion than she had ever seen on his face before.    She wasn't some weirdo who claimed she could read emotions; she could just tell that he wasn't unemotional.   He looked regretful and resigned.   

For no reason tears began to trickle from her eyes.    "Kerry."    He reached his hand towards her, not close enough to touch.   His arm was suspended mid-air for a moment before he withdrew it.    "There's something I should tell you."

"Hmmmmm?"  Snow was melting under her butt and she was pretty sure it was refreezing her jeans to her snowshoes.

"There's a sect of vampires called the neovirgus who have been trying to kill me for years."   He looked so sincere, this had to be a joke.

"Neovirgins?"   She snorted.   "Are these vampires trying to avenge people you killed, Gaston?"

He looked at her as if she was insane.    "They are after me because I dishonored their queen in public."

"Wow, what did you do?"   She could play along with his little game.

"Hit her in the head with a loaf of French bread."   Michel ran a hand through his hair.   He was lucky he didn't age, or that endearing habit would have caused him to go bald centuries ago.

"That's it?    They want to kill you for that."   She was inwardly snickering.   He was getting worse at these tall tales.  

He paused for a moment.    "After their queen sent an assassin after me, I killed her."   He worked some snow in his hand into a snowball.    "So they have been murdering every human I ever fed off of.   Everyone I've ever… got close to."

"So they'll try to kill me?"   She almost smiled.   She had gotten close to Michel.

"Oh, they will kill you."   He threw his hard packed snowball over the cliff.   Kerry briefly wondered if it would start an avalanche.    "I'm only telling you this so you'll understand my next move." 

"Don't."    She stared at the handgun he took out of the back of his jeans.   Her brain suddenly clicked.   He had brought her here to kill her, and then dump her body over the cliff.   That was why Jesse had hugged her on their way out, and why he was suddenly opening up to her.

"It's either one of us or the other."   He looked despondently at the gun.    "I really did care about you, but I don't suppose that will matter now."    He leveled the gun at her as she looked tearfully into his eyes.    "Please, don't pull a Relena on me."    

Since she had watched the 'cartoon' a few times, she knew he was referring to the way Relena looked in Heero's eyes defiantly before he tried to kill her.   She also knew that Heero could never kill Relena.   "You don't have to do this.   Why kill me if you are trying to save me from being killed?    If I really must die, why not turn me into a vampire."   There it was.   She had finally made her decision to become a vampire.   Of course it was under duress, if she was going to die anyway, then why not?

"You don't understand."   He snapped.   "You deserve much more than that.   I'm giving you the most painless death I can offer."    He made a tight fist with his other hand.    "They'll torture you before they kill you.    Every single one of them will feed off you.   I couldn't take it if you were hurt.  Goodbye Kerry."

He jerked the gun towards her head and she slammed her eyes shut.    She inhaled shakily as the thought came to her that with all her powers, she should be able to stop a gun.     The gun was cocked and she mentally snapped the firing pin.    That probably wouldn't work since she didn't even know what a firing pin looked like.   Wrenching open her eyes she found Michel holding the nozzle to his own temple.   

She screamed for him to stop as her vision became slow motion and he sluggishly pulled the trigger.     She dove for him, her jeans making a ripping noise as they became unstuck from her snowshoe.    She landed on top of him.   His arm jerked up and the shot echoed through the trees.    

"Jesus, you could have killed yourself."   His eyes blazed.   His hands reached towards her and she was sure he was angry enough to truly kill her this time.   He hands entwined through her hair and leaned forward to kiss her.   A body fell on them from the trees.    Kerry screamed and Michel surged to his feet.    They were suddenly surrounded by men digging up through the snow and climbing down trees.   One man dressed completely in white stepped out from behind a bush and grabbed Kerry.    As Michel leapt towards them, twenty-some brown-clad minions pointed their weapons at him.    Michel only stopped dead when whitey swung a machete up to Kerry's neck, nicking her.

"You should have killed yourself Paresse, then maybe we would have let this lovely mortal live."   He then chuckled cruelly and licked her neck.   "Probably not."   Kerry shivered in revulsion.   

"Let her go Ucido.   She didn't kill anyone."   Michel was tired of trying to persuade these people, it was the same argument over and over.    "It was centuries ago, I think its time you gave up trying to avenge your people.   They killed my family first."   Michel tried to take a step forward; Ucido dug the blade a fraction deeper into her neck.    Kerry could now feel the warm blood seeping into her blouse, and a drop trickled down her bra.    She watched helplessly as the underlings all attacked Michel.    She fainted due to lack of blood just as Michel loped off the head of one of the vampires.

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She awoke feeling weightless and cold, but very much alive.    She groaned and in the haze of her grogginess she heard Michel frantically calling her name.    She tried to turn her body toward him, but he yelled for her not to move.    Something about his hysterics quickly woke her up.   Her eyes blinked open and she found herself looking at the view from the cliff.    She tried to rub her face, but her arms wouldn't move.

Her brain finally began processing things sluggishly.    She could feel the wind jerking her and realized she was suspended over the side of the cliff.    Again she tried to turn to where she sensed Michel's body beside her.

"Don't move!"   His growl was almost animalistic, and she was taken back by the savagery in one small command.   She had almost forgotten he was a man to fear, if he could even be called a man at all.

"What's going on?"   Kerry tried to keep calm faced with Michel's deadly vampire side once again.  She glanced down, needing to look at anything but his looming shadow out of the corner of her eye, and panicked as she caught sight of the drop below her.   "How high are we?"   Her voice was a tiny squeak even to her, but she knew beyond a doubt that he heard her.

"I told you they enjoyed torture."   He paused for a second, debating whether to go on.   Deciding she would find out eventually, and there was no need for prolonging, he continued.    "When the sun hits, I'll die agonizingly and then with my weight no longer balancing us, you'll fall to your death.    That is if this shoddy little pole doesn't let go first."   His voice was laced with bitter dread and pain.   Kerry gazed at her surroundings the best she could without stirring.    Above her tied arms was a poorly constructed pulley attached to a metal rod that appeared to be falling out of the snow it was imbedded in.

The wind stirred them dangerously and they swayed for precariously on the slight perch.   The pulley creaked, but maintained their combined weight.    Finally, she could see Michel.   It was almost impossible to tell where one wound ended and the next began through all the blood.   A nasty cut on his forehead trickled a stream over his dark eyebrows and over a blinking eye.   A drop dripped off his nose and fell down, and down.   His shirt was slashed in deep stripes, and his collarbone protruded at a sharp broken angle from his hands being brutally bound like hers.    Michel's longish black hair was matted with drying blood, and as she stared at him the popping and grinding of bones trying to knit echoed through the sharp air.

"Are you in pain?"   She felt like fainting at the sight of his beautiful body mangled.   

"No."   He winced, obviously lying.   "They wanted me to go out with as much pain as possible, but I can deal with the pain.   What I can't deal with is the fact I'm taking you out with me."   They hanged in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"So there really was a 'they' who was trying to kill me.    I thought it was…"   She quickly trailed off, not really wanting to get into this during their last moments.   Already the gleam of predawn light was strong enough to allow her to see him perfectly.

She could feel him turn sharply before he remembered he couldn't.    The rod in the snow jerked downward another inch.   She gasped and noticed a sharp pain in her shoulders.   Not that it mattered in the grand scheme of things.

"Who did you think it was?"    He inquired sharply.    She fell silent for a moment, realizing how foolish her hypothesis sounded.   She replied in a soft voice that was carried away with the wind.

"I thought it was me."   A tear trickled down her face, freezing halfway.   Now would be one of those times you stared at your hands, or picked at fingernails in order to avoid meeting someone's eyes.   She could feel him stare at her.    He didn't answer for so long she was quite sure he didn't hear her.

"How did you figure it out?"   She almost jerked towards him.   This wasn't the best place to play revelations, soon one of them was going to say something so shocking, that they both would die.

"It's all a game my mind was playing with itself.   I was the real danger.    You were only trying to save me from myself."   She began to cry.   "I just can't figure out if it's also my mind doing this, and if the only reason you are here is because that's what I wished for more than anything."   There, she had gotten the plaguing worry off her chest, or should she say mind?

"No."  His eyes turned from their unemotional shell, and became tender for a moment as he glanced at her.   They turned back to their original everything-amuses-me, yet-I'm-amused-but-nothing façade, once again only letting her see a glimpse into his soul.  "Oh Kerry, I'm here because you needed me, and I owe you so much more than my life."

She could detect a small difference in the darkness surrounding her and she realized the sun was about to rise.    The tears began to freeze to her cheeks.    "I love you."   Her voice sounded feeble.

"We should have had sex."   A defense mechanism.   Turn the conversation to humour when it was threatening to become too uncomfortable.   She used it enough to recognize it and was almost thankful for him changing the subject from all these death-bed revelations.

She let out a half sob-half laugh.    "I guess now those vibrators won't be used.   Maybe Lestat and Jesse can find a way to employ them."

"You're sick minded.   I don't want to think of those two having sex.    I was hoping my last thoughts would be of us."   She could almost feel him smirk.

"Sorry.   Leave it to a man to think of sex as he dies."    The first rays of light could be seen coming over the horizon.    Michel jerked sharply as he felt the heat kiss his skin.   She sickenedly  waited for the hiss of burning smell and his screams of pain.   He tentatively opened his eyes and looked at her in shock as his skin absorbed the heat like a mortal.

"You _are _her."   She knew exactly what he was saying.   Somehow, she had become the enigma who is the Quhadila.   All this time, she was the one with the powers- making things happen to everyone she loved around her.   All this time she had slowly been killing herself.   She had unwittingly caused herself and Michel so much pain, but in the end, she had managed to save him.

The rod collapsed.    It no longer mattered.   They were floating over the side of the cliff as she experimented with the influx of her powers.   The knots binding her hands slowly unraveled themselves and she was free to throw herself into Michel's arms.    Michel had a look of pure awe on his face, finally able to face the sun after so many years.   He reminded her of a child waking to stacks of presents under the tree Christmas morning.

Michel held her against him as he rotated his left shoulder.   She tried to ignore the crunching sound of his bones realigning themselves.   The wound on his head had healed into a pinkish scar, and soon would fade forever.   He brought his left hand up and traced a finger over her cheekbone.

"I can finally see you in the light, where you belong."   He gave her a genuine smile, and though it was laced with hidden sorrow, she couldn't help but smile back.   A smudge of his blood danced across her cheek, marking her skin, as she herself was marred.

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Hey!   I'd like to thank all the people who stayed with this story through thick and thin, stupidity and brilliance.    How about everyone who read the story reviews this last chapter so I can see how many people actually read it.  In the end, all I am is an author who wants reviews as much as the next person.   If you're a writer, you know how this works; it's like a contest you yearn to win.   Yes, I do try to mooch them off you continuously, but I've never threatened not to write more if I don't receive.   So… please?

----Wait!  Where are you going?  Reviewing is that way----

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A sequel is in the works… any ideas?


	10. The one everyone was waiting for

Well. It's been a year. Recently I recieved an email asking me to post what I had, since it is widely known that I was working on a sequel, but not when it would be out. Well, the truth of the matter is I had stopped working on the sequel a long time ago. This email got me looking at what I had and I realized I could end it relatively quick. I'm sorry to disappoint so many of you, but this will only be a few chapters long.

The good news is that I'm writing another fanfic for Companions of the Night. I'm not making any promises, but I can assure you that I love this book more than anything, despite the fact I'm probably too old for it. So enjoy.

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Michel chortled endearingly, not able to wipe the grin off his animatedly charming face, as he grabbed her and pulled her to him on the crest of the cliff. His mouth grazed against hers, and she could feel his smile widen. This was the first time she had seen him express the emotion of joy without the suspicion it was bogus. His arms encircled her waist and he pitched himself backwards, dragging them both into the snow. Her elbow rammed into his gut and he guffawed, rolling so he was on top of her. His knee slid between her thighs and he nibbled slowly on her bottom lip.

She should have seen it coming, but she was more interested in the way her body was reacting to Michel than her surroundings. She ended up with snow melting on her eyelids, stinging her cheeks, and trickling down her collar to saturate the silky lace of her whore-bra. Michel smoothly jumped off her and backed away, his laughter echoing through the mountains. She clumsily staggered to her feet, using a nearby tree for support while wiping snow from her face. She tried to feel infuriated with him for scooping snow on her, but the best she could do was a half-assed glare, which made him laugh harder and taunt her.

She took a step towards him, planning on attempting to tackle him to the ground; yet knowing he could easily move out of the way and make her fall face first in the snow. He raised an eyebrow and her foot got caught in something on the ground, probably her other foot, and she stumbled, reaching out blindly for something to hold on to. How she managed to keep herself upright was nothing short of a miracle, and the blessing didn't stop there. She had grabbed a tree branch directly overhead and the force of her jar had caused snow to tumble down over an unsuspecting Michel.

He coughed, sputtered, became sober for one moment then started grinning again. "I never thought you'd manage to retaliate." He shook the sweater he was wearing to dislodge any snow. She figured if any touched his skin it probably wouldn't melt. She found her theory wrong as a trickle slithered from his unruly hair into his eyes. He caught it in surprise and looked up at her with closed emotions.

She shuffled over to him and coyly licked the drop from his finger. She gasped in surprise as he grabbed her hand and laid it flat against his cheek. "You're burning up!" She yanked the cuff of her coat sleeve up to expose her wrist and touched it to his forehead. The heat radiating from him was enough to warm her wrist in the cold temperature. He swayed on his feet and she slipped her arm around his torso.

"I'm sick." He sounded incredulous. "Merde! How is this possible?" He kicked a fluff of snow and the motion almost upended them.

"We have to get you home." She started to pull him through the woods. Their snowshoes continuously intertwined, almost causing them to fall multiple times. She gritted her teeth and forged ahead, barely aided by the nearly comatose vampire. She reached where the driveway intersected with the forest. Propping him against a maple tree, she promised to be back as soon as possible and hurried towards the cabin.

She barely tottered a few feet when Michel's car came spinning down the snow-covered slope towards her. Snow spewed from beneath the rapidly rotating tires as she bemusedly watched it speed towards her. Her mind yelled for her to move out of the way, but her body was overcome by exhaustion. She began to sway, wondering what was wrong with them both. The car was still speeding as she felt her eyes roll back and lost control of all senses.

Her eyes blinked open to the bright natural light and a snowball hitting her on the arm. She found herself spread on the still warm hood of Michel's car. He was crawling through the snow behind her, calling for her to awake. She felt herself slide from her perch and fall beside him.

"Owww, I feel like crap." She moaned and rubbed a glove-covered hand over her freezing face. Her head lolled to the side and she looked at his upside-down face.

"Jesus, you're alive. I thought you got hit by the car." He said this in a blasé 'I don't really care if the car hit you' kind of way. She hoped he did care, she was the only one standing between him and dying of hyperthermia or something.

"If only I could be so lucky." She rolled over and slowly lurched to her feet. Bracing her hand on the car she pulled Michel up after her. He sat on the hood and panted. Kerry could slowly feel her strength returning, but Michel was looking paler than normal. Since she had previously assumed he couldn't go any more pallid, his color was frightening her. She somehow managed to get them both in the car and it started without any encouragement on her part. It was tempting to just fall asleep and let the car drive, but she watched its progress towards the lodge wearily.

It was worth it to die young if her powers got Michel to safety.

They both managed to stumble into his wood chalet and into the nearest bedroom. Michel fell face-first onto the bed and stopped moving. She managed to crawl from under him after a half-hour or so. Then came the highlight of her life- stripping him out of his wet clothes and down to his boxers. He was still shivering after she managed to maneuver his fine half-naked body under the blankets so she crawled in beside him and fell asleep.

She wasn't sure how long she remained there oblivious to the world, but around noon she awoke to Michel gasping for breath. Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head in fear. It was a moment before she sprung into action, wetting a face cloth with warm water and placing it across his chest in an effort to loosen his lungs. Then she went through the medicine cabinets in each bathroom, only to come up empty. She should have known vampires wouldn't need drugs. She couldn't understand why Michel was like this now; the only thing she could figure was it was her fault.

Rummaging through her purse she found a package of Halls. She couldn't see how they could aid him, and figured she'd probably manage to get it lodged in his throat and he'd die of suffocation. It alarmed her to realize he would probably die from lack of air anyway, if she didn't do something. Leaving him was out of the question, so she couldn't drive to the nearest pharmacy. She definitely couldn't bring him to a doctor, even if she thought he would survive being moved. Who knew what kind of medical things about him screamed 'vampire' that only a doctor would notice.

She did what any sane teenager would do under the circumstances- she called home. No one answered the phone and she realized with only two days left until Christmas, they were probably shopping. Infuriated, she lobbed the Halls across the room and it shattered like glass against the oak wall. Hurrying over, she smashed them a few more times for good measure and dissolved the shards in a glass of tepid water. She took a sip herself and grimaced at the strong sweetness of the vapor-action concoction. It managed to clear her lungs, and probably kill all living cells in her body, so she figured it would be perfect for Michel… he didn't have any living cells.

She hurried back to him, pleased with her fast action in saving his life. He was on his side, breathing deeply, but otherwise unhampered. She shrugged, placed the glass on the table next to him, and figured her wet cloth must have worked after all. She took the cloth and placed it on his forehead to bring down the fever. Proud of her multi-purpose accomplishments in the pharmaceutical department, she searched the cupboards once again for food.

Cucumber was still the only thing clinging to the shelves of the fridge, and for a moment she contemplated scraping it off and eating it. Or she could boil it and make soup. She found a telephone book and bribed a fast-food restaurant to bring her food. The teenager on the phone managed to get her up to twenty-five dollars if he could deliver her order within thirty minutes. The ad in the phone book said free delivery, but she was so famished she'd pay him whatever he wanted if he managed to get there before she died of malnutrition.

The boy arrived within the time limit, just as she exited Lestat's room fifty dollars richer. She paid, and he wished a Merry Christmas to her and her family- hoping they enjoyed the meal. Kerry lugged her food to the kitchen table and her eyes brightened at the load of food. She stuffed a piece of pizza in her mouth and took a bite of an egg roll. Washing it all down with a root beer, she took a large mouthful out of one of her burgers.

A few minutes later Michel stumbled into the kitchen and eyed her vastly depleting stock. He snitched a piece of pizza out of her hand and sat beside her, staring at it. After a moment of looking at the dripping grease from all direction, he took a nibble. "Vampires can't eat food. I've always wanted to try pizza, but the smell made me nauseous." He took a larger bite. "I guess this means I'm not a vampire anymore." He stuffed the rest in his mouth and grabbed her root beer to wash it all down. "Mmmmmmmmmm."

He grabbed fries and a box of Chinese rice. She watched wide-eyed as he packed more food into his stomach. Obscured by the table, she unfastened a button on her jeans for extra room and took another piece of pizza. In his haste he accidentally ripped his finger open on the sharp corner of the cardboard takeout box. They both watched bemusedly as a drop of blood dripped to the table and the wound closed over. Before long Kerry could no longer even detect the lesion.

"Well… I'm still a vampire." He nonchalantly wolfed down a burger. "This is great. I can understand why you mortals eat it now."

He paused mid-chew and spit the glob of masticated meat onto the table. Hurrying over to the counter he started regurgitating swallowed food into the sink. Kerry scurried over and scooped his shoulder-length black locks out of his face while trying not to look in his direction. She watched as Lestat sauntered into the room, paused mid-greeting, and looked like he was about to be sick himself.

"For Christ sakes you idiot." Kerry didn't know whom the exclamation was directed towards as Lestat rushed over and turned on the garbage disposal. "You know damn well vampires can't digest food." He grabbed Michel by the head and rammed him into the sharp edge of the counter, probably trying to help him purge the food from his system. Michel moaned in pain and vomited up blood. His discharge finally cleared until it was clear greenish bile.

Kerry yelled for Lestat to stop, but there was no need. The demon was immobile, staring at his best friend in horror. If she hadn't just witnessed Michel heal as usual, Kerry would have insisted they bring the sick vamp to a hospital. Spent, Michel sluggishly wiped his mouth on his sleeve and buckled onto Kerry. She grappled with his inert form for a moment before Lestat seized and dragged him into Michel's bedroom.

He stormed out, grabbed her and violently pulled her into the living room. "What the hell is going on!?!"

"He hasn't been well all day. Since a few minutes after the sun rose on us." Lestat stopped his predatory pacing and stared her down.

Growling, he inquired, "What do you mean? The sun rose on you? I thought you understood what would happen if the sun touched a vampire. It's not possible." His eyes narrowed. "Jesse!"

A few moments later the red-head groggily stepped out the door rubbing her eyes. The mannerisms were a habit from her human life, not due to tiredness. She paused, taking in the sight of Lestat with his face pressed angrily before Kerry's. Kerry was having trouble restraining the tendrils of livid power wafting from inside her brain. She actually could see the wisps of deep scarlet wrath encircling both she and Lestat in a helix.

Jesse pressed her finger and thumb against the inner corner of her eyes and sighed. "So it has started."

©RelenaFanel2005


	11. The one where they drive all night

Darkness of Companions: The Somewhat-a-Sequel.

The third final chapter should be out next weekend guys.

* * *

"…So if Michel doesn't convert Kerry within seventy-two hours of consumption of her blood, he'll turn mortal. When that happens his whole body will become old and die, decompose, and then turn into a skeleton worthy of his age all within minutes. In turn, since Kerry caused his death, her consciousness will revert into her mind and she'll relive his last few minutes in a loop for eternity." 

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" Agitated, Rocker-boy kept raking his nail across his wrist and watching himself heal. He obviously yearned for the spilling of blood. "We could have 'disposed' of certain factors initially."

Kerry glared at him. Jesse quickly intervened, probably not wanting her husband to implode. "I never thought Kerry possessed enough power to be _the Quhadila._ She wasn't aware of her powers, and awareness is the first step of becoming. You know yourself that she rates very low on the paranormal-scale." She turned to Kerry. "You may have guessed it, but I'll explain anyway- vampires can detect certain gifts within a creature. It's like defense radar so we know to stay away from someone who may be stronger and overpowering to us. It always gives a correct reading for potential energy levels."

She was interrupted by a Molotov cocktail blazing through the shattered window of the living room. Startled, Kerry naturally ducked, not quite sure what was being thrown at her. After the explosion Lestat glared at her, as if expecting her to be able to reverse time and stop it. Technically, she supposed, she should be able to do that. The only blessing was it destroyed the couch and surrounding area so Michel would never know she flattened his precious rocking-chair.

Lestat dove for a cabinet and dragged out armfuls of weaponry. His image cradled by the fire, he was an avenging angel in a B rated flick, complete with leather and ammo. He handed Kerry a rifle she wasn't gun-happy enough to be able to identify and shoved her towards the back room a feverish Michel was resting in.

"We're counting on you to get him out." He signaled to Jesse and crawled over to the window. Jesse started to pry a floorboard up as Lestat opened fire. Kerry stood frozen. Jesse reached over and grabbed her ankle, jerking her to the floor just as the enemy returned fire.

"Go Kerry!" She was shoved brutally, causing her to roll towards the back of the cabin. "Don't be afraid to use your powers."

Jesse's fangs elongated and her face twisted into a gruesome snarl as she pried open half the floor. Kerry scuttled backwards, crawling in the hazardous filth littering the floor. Lestat tossed a grenade out the window just as she reached the bedroom door. The force of the blast caused her to tumble on her knees clutching the door handle.

Michel was slouched on the bed trying to pull on pants. She had never seen him look as fragile as he did, covered in a feverish sweat, while fumbling and gasping for air like a mere mortal. Even at the Laundromat and Marsala's house he maintained a dignity she had come to expect as a pure Michel trait. She finally appreciated how close he now was to death.

He stood and almost keeled over. Kerry knew this was all her fault. She tried to will his sickness away, but it wouldn't work. She grabbed one of his arms and forced it into his leather jacket. He wobbled a bit and tried to shove her away before drooping into her shoulder.

"You've got to turn me."

He shook his head defiantly. His beautiful dark locks were turning greasy, and his chin dug heavily into her collarbone. "I'd die first."

"Well you are going to!" Close to hysterics she shook tears out of her eyes.

"Good." He whispered so quietly she wouldn't have heard if her ear wasn't beside his lips.

"Good!?" Before she had a chance to say something she would definitely regret, a blast and roar came from the living room. "We've got to get out of here." Kerry put an arm around Michel's waist and turned towards the door.

"There's a trap door under the bed." She sighed and turned again. Before she could touch the bed it swung across the room and shattered through the window. A vocal screech came from outside as Kerry grabbed a typical big brass ring and pulled upwards with all her might. The hatch screeched open on rusted hinges, groaning after a century of misuse. A rickety ladder was slightly discernable.

"You go first." She gestured down the hole. Of course she wasn't frightened. Michel looked chauvinistically offended.

"Ladies first."

"Look, you know whatever is down there better than I do. If someone else is down there, you would know." They glared at each other before he accepted this reasoning, both aware it was a copout. Kerry felt a ping of guilt as he gingerly lowered his legs on to the ladder, testing it with his weight before slowly descending. Within moments his inky hair merged with the cavern, making him impossible to distinguish.

Kerry swung into the dark unknown abyss below hoping she didn't land on the vampire below her. The hole seemed to go on forever. One small step for vampires, one giant leap for mankind. She finally smacked into the floor with a jarring thud.

"Michel?" She squinted around the blackness, not detecting a hint of light, even from above. She groped out and her hand touched against Michel… or, well, a rat. She jumped. The Michel/rodent jumped, and she attempted to scuttle back.

"Hold on." A hand reached out into the dark and clamped on her shoulder. She stifled a scream. "This whole place is booby trapped against both humans and vampires."

"Oh, that's brilliant. Right now you've got weaknesses of both." She could almost hear him scowl at her. The vampire she met two years ago hadn't showed true emotions. He was acting different now, probably because he had never experienced this weak medley of vampiric humanity. One thing he still successfully hid was his fear.

A small explosion sounded on her right. Kerry barely had time to register that Michel could be hurt when she heard a door open. A second later the cave was illuminated with the brightness of car lights. She hurried towards him, ignoring a few gasps of horror as she stepped over all the landmines and traps laid in store for trespassers. Her feet skimmed along a few millimeters from the ground. The power could be very useful. Maybe she could use it for evil perverted purposes. This thought made her smile as she jumped in the passenger door.

"That was careless. You could have been dead at least ten times."

"I'm not the idiot who made his back entrance world war three. Why do you care anyway? Could it be you want to live?"

"Because I…" he stopped short. A little bit of secretive Michel peeked through fever-watering eyes. He stomped on the gas of his little sport's car and sped down the narrow chamber towards a dead-end. Kerry's eyes widened and she slumped backwards into the leather seat, hands clutching wildly on the armrests. They burst through the rock in the cavern wall it turned out to be camouflaged sponge or something and into the crisp freezing air of Canada's winter.

The car immediately launched into a steep downward descent. Kerry closed her eyes to block out the trees rushing at them and Michel gritting his teeth while somehow successfully avoiding them. They jarred onto a rugged dirt road in the middle of nowhere. They're in Canada, everywhere is the middle of nowhere.

Kerry let out a sign of relief as Michel let up on the gas. Slowly they coasted to a stop. She sat there in annoyance for a minute before peeking at Michel out of the corner of her eye. She almost gasped out loud when she found him slumped unconscious. Grumbling under her breath, Kerry grabbed the arm of his jacket and dragged him onto the passenger side as she inched out of the car.

While running around to the driver's side, shouts came from higher up the road. As she jumped in and locked the door, the first figure came in view. Michel's legs were still stretched under the seat so she had to stomp hard on his foot to reach the accelerator. Michel moaned, head rolling back. Kerry didn't have time to entertain pleasant thoughts as their pursuers opened fire.

She ducked with echo of a shot, though she subconsciously knew the bullet would have already impacted. Driving this road was probably difficult enough during the day, but to her weak human eyes the journey was treacherous. Squinting did nothing to illuminate the looming obstacles, but she couldn't slow down and she couldn't turn on the headlights. It didn't take long for Michel's little 'manly' sports car to outdistance all attackers. She was able to pause her critical attention for a second to remove his foot from under hers. She kept speeding until the deserted road branched onto the highway and then flicked on the lights, her eyes firmly attached to the clock on the dashboard.

Three hours left.

She wasn't sure whether Jesse's assessment of their dire situation was correct or not, but Kerry wasn't willing to chance it. If she didn't get Michel to change her within three days of his initial feeding, he'd die. She had a personal investment on keeping him alive, and it didn't have anything to do with her own fate. She'd gladly spend an eternity in hell if he still existed, but that wasn't how the curse went.

Life would be so much easier if she didn't love him.

Gradually their headlights stopped being the only light cutting through the blinding darkness as they neared a village. Kerry's head was pulsing from sleep deprivation and stress. She was just so exhausted. Occasionally her eye would twitch. Desperate to get off the road she pulled into a Comfort Inn, knowing it may be expensive but was at least moderately clean. The town boasted an economy centered around a ski mountain and the parking lot of the hotel was surprisingly full.

She parked in front of the lobby and stepped up from the expensive car. Shutting the door quietly so as to not disturb the slumbering man in the passenger seat, she hurried over to his side of the car and opened his door. She knelt beside Michel, nervously searching his face for signs of wakefulness. His face was smushed against the leather seat, giving him a cute puffy countenance. He wasn't sleeping the slumber of the dead she had grown used to; he was resting like an adorable little boy. Quickly she looped her arms around him, lifting him slightly from the seat. A faint blush bloomed on her cheeks a second before jerking back with his wallet clutched in her hand. As she had expected, he had enough cash for a night in the hotel.

For the second time that day she blatantly stole money from someone's wallet. Michel wouldn't mind, but she hoped Lestat never noticed. She felt a bit insecure using the credit card Michel had procured for her. Everyone knew credit cards were easy to trace. Glancing quickly at Michel, she was glad to note he had slept through her fumbling grope.

Once again she took care to shut the car door. She left the vehicle unlocked; hopefully Michel would make himself useful in his sleeping state to guard the car. Taking a deep breath, she entered the hotel lobby, intent on making herself seem as relaxed and nonchalant as possible. Who knew what they were running from?

* * *

AN: Guess what guys? I've got Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. If you look on the bottom of your keyboard, there is probably a warning about it. I always thought it was the urban myth of typists... _Oh, if you type too much the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome will get you, and no more shall you write painfree. He'll make sure your hands are so cramped, weak and pained you can't even open a door._ BS? Right?

WRONG!

In happier news, the plot bunnies of a new CotN story are floating in my head. I also finished a new short one that will be added to _Adversaries of the Light_ sometime soon.


	12. The one with death and life?

"Michel."

He groaned, throat painfully constricting. His back was slouched in an awkward sitting position and the cool air nipped at his uncovered fingers. Had he fallen asleep in front of the fire reading Chaucer again? He'd been doing that for years, much to the chagrin of his mother. She just couldn't see how Chaucer could put someone to sleep.

"Michel!"

A finger poked into his side. Half-heartedly he swatted it away. It couldn't possibly be time to get up. The voice calling his name was definitely accented English. One of the maids perhaps. He knew that voice.

"Don't make me roll you through the lobby on a trolley." She was clearly amused.

He wanted to wake up, but his eyelids weren't cooperating. His whole body felt heavy, exhausted with a tinge of sickness. And the pain. It was all he could do to keep his face neutral. He hadn't felt like this since…

Michel's eyes flew open. He reached up to rub his face, shocked when he felt sleep in his eyes. "I feel like a human." He said the last part with disgust as if it was the foulest curse.

"Being human isn't that bad." Kerry's eyes were sparkling with humor. Usually he'd say something to take that look out of her eyes, but it made his traitorous heart beat harder to see her smile at him. It was hard to be a cold bastard when he felt as if he could blush at her close proximity. "I'm human."

He shot her an incredulous look as she helped him from the seat. If he had the energy he'd brush her off. He wasn't some weakling who needed help. "It's bad if you haven't been human for over a century." A sharp twinge contracted in his gut. Michel inhaled through his teeth, slipping on a patch of ice. Kerry grabbed his arm to steady him and she gazed at him in worry. The Michel she knew wouldn't slip on ice.

The show was the least he could do to protect her from knowing his internal organs were rapidly failing.

"Over a century? How far over a century?" She carried on conversationally, showing a genuine interest in his age. He knew exactly how much older he was than she was. The phrase robbing the cradle didn't even cut it. Not that he'd robbed this particular cradle. Yet.

He smirked at her, pretending to be careful where he was walking so he wouldn't 'slip' again. Nonchalantly he slid his hand around her waist and was rewarded with a tiny gasp and shy smile. He could faintly discern her heart accelerate.

"For future reference, I never stay at Comfort Inn." He made the effort to open the door for her. It was an innate mannerism from his childhood. She shook her head in exasperation, shooting a quick glance towards the reception to make sure they didn't hear and take offence.

Michel's lungs wanted to refuse the gulps of air he needed just to walk across the lobby. They burned uncomfortably and he nearly passed out with the effort to keep yet another frailty from Kerry. He wanted her to remember him as invincible.

The door on the elevator whooshed shut. He leaned against the paneling as they rose to the fourth floor. Within moments the elevator doors whooshed open. He moved ahead of her, ensuring she wouldn't injure his pride by attempting to help him again.

"You're never going to tell me your age, are you?" Kerry moved down the hallway, jingling the room keys as she muttered the number under her breath. He noticed the door before she did. "We're lucky to get this room. Apparently the ski hill gets a lot of tourists over the holidays." She said to him, inserting the key in the lock.

"If you call this luck." He entered the room behind her, eying the cheap comforter and matching curtains with distain. In reality he'd stayed in worse, but it was fun to rile her. He was just thankful everything looked clean. The moment Kerry stepped into the bathroom and locked the door he gingerly rolled onto the bed, giving into the urge to cough.

The first cough was weak and pathetic, but within seconds they escalated into wracking heaves that shook his whole body. His lungs and stomach felt like they just buckled under. No air could enter, but blood was coming up. Finally the choking subsided enough for him to lift his head an inch.

Kerry was standing inches away, a visible angel bathed in the soft light from the opened bathroom door, looking at him in horror.

She reached over and wiped something off his chin. Showing him the smudge of blood on her innocent skin, she brought her hand towards her mouth. With speed and strength he wasn't sure he still possessed, he grabbed her arm and wretched it towards him.

"Don't." He ingested the blood himself, taking secret pleasure in licking it from her warm skin.

"You have to change me." Her eyes were pleading. She was terrified. The last time she had looked like that, she had been begging him to do the exact opposite.

"I'd rather die!" Michel responded violently. She backed away from his blazing eyes.

"You will die." Kerry replied, tears gathering in her eyes.

He knew he was dying. Just as he knew he wouldn't succumb to the pain and pressure to change her into a dark being like himself. Ruining Kerry wasn't an option. He'd be strong for her.

"… And then I will." She took a deep breath, continue on with her argument. "Once you die I'll be stuck in the memory of it. I won't be able to get away, Michel. It'll be all I'll see. I can't… live."

He shook his head, denying all she was saying to him. He understood what she was saying, he'd heard the urban legends, but it couldn't be happening now. He didn't like being choiceless.

"You were willing to once." She took his hand. "I was good enough for you once."

"No." He kept shaking his head. Didn't she know?

"Please." Kerry's voice became a whisper as the tears freely fell down her face. Michel pulled their clasped hands towards his chest, holding them against his pained heart as he carefully dragged her towards him in a loose embrace. Didn't she realize?

She was his only weakness.

* * *

Well, that's it. I don't particularly like doing this from Michel's POV, since we NEVER see that in CotN, but I couldn't see any other way. The audience had to know he wasn't being clumbsy or weak, it was all an act so Kerry wouldn't know he was agonizingly dying. I also wanted you all to know why he didn't want to turn her. I couldn't see Michel sitting down and explaining all this stuff. So, what do you think? Did I do Michel justice?

I don't think anyone could fully get into Michel's head; he's such a complex character. I think that's why I love him so much.

Right. So little one-shot continuations keep flitting through my head for this story, but I really don't like the writing in the beginning. We'll see.

Feedback... please? anyone?

©RelenaFanel2005


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